Their heart is full of wickedness,
And all their deeds deny Him.
Corrupt are they, and every one
Abominable works hath done;
There is not one well-doer.

2 The Lord looked from His heavenly throne

On all mankind below Him,
To see if there were any one

Who truly sought to know Him,
And all his understanding bent
To search His holy Word, intent
To do His will in earnest.

Delusive paths of folly trod,
And followed lusts forbidden;
Not one there was who practiced good,
Though many deemed, in haughty mood,
Their deeds to God were pleasing.

4 How long, by folly blindly led,
Will they oppress the needy,
And eat my people up like bread?
So fierce are they and greedy!
In God they put no trust at all,
Nor will on Him in trouble call,
But be their own providers.

5 Therefore their heart is never still,
A constant fear dismays them,
God is with him who doth His will,
Who trusts Him and obeys Him;
Ye shame the counsel of the poor,
And mock him when he doth assure
That God is e'er his refuge.

6 Who shall to Israel's outcast race From Zion bring salvation?

God will Himself at length show grace
And loose the captive nation;

That will He do by Christ their King;
Let Jacob then be glad and sing,
And Israel be joyful.

278

8, 7, 8, 7, 8, 8, 7

O GOD, from heaven look down and see
A sight which well may move Thee:
Of godly men how few there be,
Forsaken we who love Thee!
Withheld is Thy pure Word, the light
Of faith itself extinguished quite
In all the sons of Adam.

2 Fictions they teach with cunning art, And lies of man's invention;

Not grounded on God's Word, their heart Breeds naught but strange dissension; One chooses this, another that,

Untold division they create

Though saint-like in appearance.

3 May God root out all heresy,
And of false teachers rid us,
Who proudly say: "Now where is he
That shall our speech forbid us!
We have the right and might alone,
And what we say must stand, we own
None as our Lord and master."

4 Therefore saith God, "I must arise,
The poor suffer wrong-doing;
To me ascend my people's sighs,
And I have heard their suing:
My saving Word shall take the field,

Shall be the poor man's strength and

shield,

Shall conquer all opposers."

5 As silver seven times furnace-tried;
Is pure from all its drosses,
So doth the Word of God abide
The brighter for its crosses;
For trial shows its worth aright,
And manifests its strength, and light,
That through all lands it shineth.

6 O God, preserve it pure and free
From this vile generation,
And let us be preserved by Thee
From their abomination;

The wicked walk on every side,

When 'mid Thy flock the vile abide
In power and are exalted.

279

10, 10, 10, 4

CHRIST, Thou the Champion of the band who own

Thy cross, O make Thy succor quickly

known!

The schemes of those who long our blood have sought

Bring Thou to naught.

2 Do Thou Thyself for us Thy children

fight,

Withstand the Devil, quell his rage and

might,

Whate'er assails Thy members left

below,

Do Thou o'erthrow.

3 And give us Thy peace: peace in Church and school,

Peace to the powers who o'er our country rule,

Peace to the conscience, peace within the heart

Do Thou impart.

4 So shall Thy goodness here be still adored,

Thou Guardian of Thy little flock, dear Lord;

And heaven and earth through all

eternity

Shall worship Thee.

280

11, 11, 11, 5

AH! Lord our God, let them not be

confounded

Who, though by want, and woe, and pain surrounded,

Yet day and night still for Thy hope are sighing,

To Thee are crying.

2 But put to shame Thy foes, who breathe defiance,

And make their own vain might their sole reliance;

O turn in mercy to Thy generation,
Lord, have compassion!

3 We stand bereft of help, and poor and

lonely.

'Twere vain to trust in man;-with Thee, Lord, only

We may defeat the enemies around us Who seek to wound us.

4 Thou art our Champion who canst overthrow them,

And save the little flock now crushed below them,

We trust in Thee; for Jesus' sake be near us!

Help, Helper, hear us!

281

NO change of time shall ever shock
My firm affection, Lord, to Thee;
For Thou hast always been a Rock,
A Fortress and Defence to me.

2 Thou my Deliverer art, my God;

L. M.

My trust is in Thy mighty power: Thou art my Shield from foes abroad; At home, my Safeguard and my Tower.

3 To Thee I will address my prayer,
To whom all praise we justly owe;
So shall I, by Thy watchful care,
Be guarded safe from every foe.

4 Let the eternal Lord be praised,

The Rock on whose defence I rest: O'er highest heavens His name be raised, Who me with His salvation blest.

282

8, 7, 8, 7, 8, 8, 7

HAD God not come, 'may Israel say,
Had God not come to aid us,

Our enemies before this day

Would surely have dismayed us; For we are but a handful small Held in contempt and scorn by all, All men rise up against us.