O Lord, my God, Thou art my trustful stay; O save me from this persecution's shower; Deliver me in my endangered way Lest lion-like he do my soul devour, And cruelly in many pieces tear While I am void of any helping power. O Lord, my God, if I did not forbear Ever from deed of any such desert, If ought my hands of wickedness do bear, If I have been unkind for friendly part, Nay if I wrought not for his freedom's sake Who causeless now yields me a hateful heart, Then let my foe chase me, and chasing take; Then let his foot upon my neck be set; Then in the dust let him my honor rake. Arise, O Lord, in wrath Thyself upset Against such rage of foes. Awake for me To that high doom which I by Thee must get. So shall all men with lauds environ Thee. Therefore, O Lord, lift up Thy throne on high That every folk Thy wondrous acts may see. Thou, Lord, the people shalt in judgment try; Then Lord, my Lord, give sentence on my side After my clearness, and my equity. O let their wickedness no longer bide From coming to the well-deserved end, But still be Thou to just men justest guide. Thou righteous proofs to hearts, and reins dost send, And all my help from none but Thee is sent, Who dost Thy saving health to true men bend. Thou righteous art, Thou strong, Thou patient, Yet each day art provoked Thine ire to show For this same man will not learn to repent, Therefore Thou whet'st Thy sword, and bend'st Thy bow, And hast Thy deadly arms in order brought And ready art to let Thine arrows go. Lo, he that first conceived a wretched thought, And great with child of mischief travailed long, Now brought abed, hath brought nought forth, but nought. A pit was digged by this man vainly strong, But in the pit he ruined first did fall, Which fall he made to do his neighbor wrong. He against me doth throw, but down it shall Upon his pate, his pain employed thus And his own evil his own head shall appall. I will give thanks unto the Lord of us According to His heavenly equity And will to highest name yield praises high. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE SERE AND YELLOW LEAF by KAREN SWENSON A CHILD'S PET by WILLIAM HENRY DAVIES MISSIONARY HYMN by REGINALD HEBER TWO SONNETS FROM NEW YORK: TOWERS by ADELAIDE NICHOLS BAKER ON THE DISCOVERIES OF CAPTAIN LEWIS [JANUARY 14, 1807] by JOEL BARLOW SONNET: 14 by RICHARD BARNFIELD THINKING OF SAINTS AND OF PETRONIUS ARBITHE by MARY BUTTS (1890-1937) |