Thy glorious deeds, thy mercies, Lord, of old

Verse 1

Thy glorious deeds, thy mercies, Lord, of old, Our fathers oft their progeny have told; Their sons with pious gratitude they've taught, What mighty wonders thou for them haft wrought.

Verse 2

How thou didst thy beneficence display, And drov'st the nations from their seats away; Didst the profaners of thy name destroy, And badst thy people their domains enjoy.

Verse 3

For not their strength the mighty work perform'd; Vainly without thy goodness they had arm'd; They owe the conquest, the success, to thee; Thy dread right-hand bestow'd the victory.

Verse 4

Justly thy tribes thy hallow'd courts attend; Propitious hear them, and assistance send.

Verse 5

By thee alone supported, we dismay The vaunting foe, and gain a glorious day; By thee supported, on their necks we'll tread, And spurn them to the regions of the dead.

Verse 6

In our own bows no confidence we have, Nor fondly hope, that our own swords can save;

Verse 7

But to thy conqu'ring arm our cause commit, And in thy might our deadly foes defeat.

Verse 8

Therefore, while lasts this earth, thy praise we'll sing, And make our boast of thee, all-pow'rful king.

Verse 9

But now thou'st cast us off; thou leav'st us now; No more the leader of our armies thou:

Verse 10

Now from the hostile bands we fly away, Basely we fly, and prove an easy prey;

Verse 11

Expos'd, like sheep devoted to be slain, We 'mid the nations rove for peace in vain.

Verse 12

Thou'st of thy people made a public sale, Nor the low price does to thy wealth avail.

Verse 13

A scorn unto our neighbours we are grown, Our griefs they laugh at, and they mock our moan.

Verse 14

A bye-word we're become--they shake the head--

Verse 15

For this, confusion has my face o'er-spread; With shame I glow, to hear their blasphemies, To see, with what derision they despise.

Verse 16

All this is now our despicable lot; Yet we thy sacred cov'nant ne'er forgot;

Verse 17

Nay; in our paths whatever dangers lay, Our steady Feet have ne'er declin'd thy way;

Verse 18

Tho' sunk in deepest woe, disgrac'd, forlorn, By vilest foes insulted, tho' we mourn; Tho' we a life of abject slav'ry breathe, And tremble on the dreadful verge of death.

Verse 19

Had we, O Lord, thy sov'reign pow'r denied, And on the aid of other Gods relied;

Verse 20

Sure thou hadst known it, since to thee confest Stand forth the inmost secrets of the breast:

Verse 21

And yet for thee we all these griefs sustain, And like the fatlings of the fold are slain.

Verse 22

Why slumb'reft thou, O Lord? Awake, awake, And not for ever thy poor tribes forsake;

Verse 23

Why hid thy face? Why this severe neglect? Why our affliction wilt thou still forget?

Verse 24

With grief o'erburden'd, in the dust we lie, Our weaken'd limbs their wonted aid deny,

Verse 25

Awake, awake; redeem us from our foes, And let thy mercy dissipate our woes.