Ante Bellum Sermon - Part I by Cora Hopson Lyrics

We is gathahed hyeah, my brothahs
In dis howlin' wildaness
Fu' to speak some words of comfo't
To each othah in distress
An' I chooses fu' my subjic'
Dis—I'll 'splain it by an' by
"An' de Lawd said, 'Moses, Moses'
An' de man said, 'Hyeah am I'"

Now ole Pher'oh, down in Egypt
Was de wuss man evah bo'n
An' he had de Hebrew chillun
Down dah wukin' in his co'n
'Twell de Lawd got tiahed o' his foolin'
He said: "I'll let him know—
Look hyeah, Moses, you go an' tell Pher'oh
I say let my chillun go

"An' ef he refuse to do it
I'll make him rue de houah
I'll empty down on Egypt
All de vials of my powah"
An' he did—an' Pher'oh's ahmy
Wasn't wuth a ha'f a dime
Now de Lawd will he'p his chillun
You kin trust him evah time
Oh, de enemy can 'sail you
F'om de back an' f'om de front
But de Lawd's all aroun' you
To ba' de battle's brunt
Dey kin fo'ge yo' chains an' shackles
F'om de mountains to de sea
But de Lawd gwine to sen' some Moses
To set his chillun free

An' de lan' shall hyeah his thundah
Lak de blas' f'om Gab'el's ho'n
'Case de Lawd of hosts is mighty
When he girds his ahmor on
But fu' feah some one mistakes me
I'm gwine to pause right hyeah to say
I'm a-preachin' ancient
I ain't talkin' 'bout to-day

But I tell you, fellah christuns
Things do happen mighty strange
Now, de Lawd done dis fu' Isrul
An' his ways don't nevah change
An' de love dat he showed Isrul
Wasn't all on Isrul spent
Now don't run an' tell yo' mastahs
Dat I'se preachin' discontent
'Case I isn't; I'se only judgin'
Bible people by deir ac's
I'se givin' you de Scriptuah
I'se handin' you de fac's
'Case Pher'oh b'lieved in slav'ry
An' de Lawd he let him see
Dat de people he put bref in—
Evah mothah's son was free