Classic Poem

Psalm L

The Lord, e'en Christ supremely blest,
 O'er worlds his merit won,
Convokes from east to west
 All flesh beneath the sun.

From Zion in the spirit rais'd
 Amongst the heights above,
Has fair perfection blaz'd
 In glory, peace, and love

The Lord shall come again to try
 His servant and his foe;
Before his face on high
 The dreadful trump shall blow.

The heav'n and earth he shall arraign,
 And ev'ry cause decide;
His sheep he shall retain,
 And from the goats divide.

Collect my saints from far and near,
 Which, in distress and want,
Were strengthen'd to revere
 Their promise at the font.

And heav'n its verdict shall declare,
 How good thou art and true;
For Christ shall judge to spare,
 And all to love subdue.

Hear my remonstrances, ye tribes,
 I am thy God, improve
By what thy God prescribes,
 And all thy filth remove.

I will not urge your gross defect,
 In that which ye disuse,
 And in such sort neglect
 To give the Lord his dues.

I will not take the slaughter'd ox
 For sin, as heretofore;
The fatling of thy flocks
 To me shall bleed no more.

For all the forrest-beasts are mine,
 Whose life the hunter spills,
As are the sheep and kine
 Upon a thousand hills.

I know the fowls that haunt the groves
 Or mountains in their flight,
And all the grazing droves
 Are ever in my sight

Shall Christ, the bread of life, repeal
 The laws his mercy taught,
And shall he want a meal,
 Which made the world from thought?

Shall God, eternal, self-complete,
 Whom highest heav'n receives,
Obey thy low conceit,
 And eat of kids and beeves?

Not in thine ew'r or dish he dips;
 No—'tis the thankful heart
And homage of thy lips
 That are thy Maker's part

Whene'er calamities assail
 The suppliant in distress,
Thy Saviour shall not fail
 To give him cause to bless.

But God disowns the rebel race—
 My laws why should ye teach,
With hearts deprav'd and base,
 And ostentatious speech?

Whereas thou hat'st the narrow track,
 Which saints and martyrs tread,
And turn'st thine impious back
 To where my word is read.

Thou lov'st the thief where'er he lurks,
 And traitors to their trust;
Thou hast partook the works
 Of foul adult'rous lust

Thy mouth is giv'n to foul discourse,
 That Christ the Word defies,
Thou hast to fraud recourse
 To propagate thy lies

Thou sittest in the seat of shame,
 And brethren are revil'd,
Nor scruplest to defame
 Thy mother's duteous child.

These things thou didst, till thou presum'd
 That God at sin conniv'd—
To death by conscience doom'd,
 Thou art in Christ reviv'd.

Consider, therefore, and repent,
 Nor lose, by ling'ring late,
The bridegroom's good intent,
 Which condescends to wait.

Whom praise and gratitude commend,
 Is fit for heav'ns employ—
“Well done, thou faithful friend,
 Receive thy Saviour's joy.”