The Church's Complaint in Persecution

Verse 1

Lord, we have heard Thy works of old, Thy works of pow­er and grace, When to our ears our fa­thers told The won­ders of their days.

Verse 2

How You did build Thy church­es here, And make Thy Gos­pel known; Amongst them did Your arm ap­pear, Thy light and glo­ry shone.

Verse 3

In God they boast­ed all the day, And in a cheer­ful throng Did thou­sands meet to praise and pray, And grace was all their song.

Verse 4

But now our souls are seized with shame, Confusion fills our face, To hear the enemy, blas­pheme, And fools re­proach Thy grace.

Verse 5

Yet we have not for­got our God, Nor false­ly dealt with heav’n, Nor have our steps de­clined the road Of du­ty You have giv’n.

Verse 6

We are ex­posed all day to die As mar­tyrs for Thy cause, As sheep for slaugh­ter bound we lie By sharp and bloody laws.

Verse 7

Awake, arise, Al­migh­ty LORD, Why sleeps Thy common grace? Why should we look like men ab­horred Or ban­ished from Thy face?

Verse 8

Will You forev­er cast us off, And still ne­glect our cries? Forev­er hide Thine heav’n­ly love From our af­flict­ed eyes?

Verse 9

Down to the dust our soul is bowed, And dies up­on the ground; Rise for our help, re­buke the proud, And all their pow­ers con­found.

Verse 10

Redeem us from per­pe­tu­al shame, Our Sav­ior and our God; We plead the hon­ors of Thy Name, The mer­its of Thy blood.