Offended with our crimes, O holy God

Verse 1

Offended with our crimes, O holy God, Thou'st cast us off, and scatter'd us abroad; Yet still thy just displeasure, Lord, restrain, And turn thee to thy chosen race again.

Verse 2

Lo! thro' thine anger quakes our earth with fear-- Opes with dismay--her secret stores appear-- Close up her wounds, her dreadful tremors stay, Confirm her base, and all our fears allay:

Verse 3

In sad, in wild astonishment we sink, And of thy bitt'rest indignation drink.

Verse 4

But lo! the Lord hath heard he'll give his aid; See his bright banners in the heav'ns display'd;

Verse 5

The pious souls that worship him, to free; To give them from their terrors liberty.

Verse 6

Gracious he speaks, and holy are his words; (What heav'nly joy his awful voice affords?) "Fair Shechems fertile fields thy lot shall be; "I'll mete out Succoth's lovely vales for thee.

Verse 7

"The faithful tribes of Israel, ar'n't they mine, "To me confirm'd by sanctions most divine?

Verse 8

"Therefore their sure protector I'll be found; "Therefore for them I'll curb the nations round; "I'll lay them all beneath their conqu'ring feet; "Idume, Moab, Palestine, submit!"

Verse 9

Who to yon lofty town the way will shew? To Edom's tow'ring gates our leader who?

Verse 10

Say, wilt not thou, O God, tho' in thy wrath Thou'st cast us off, and menac'd us with death? Say, wilt not thou, tho' late thine anger rose, And thou not lead'st us 'gainst our haughty foes?

Verse 11

But now, dread father, thy assistance give, For vain are human aids, and but deceive:

Verse 12

Our leader thou, intrepidly we'll fight, We'll conquer and well triumph in thy might, Our leader thou, our haughty foes shall bleed, And on their prostrate necks we'll joyous tread.