Classic Poem

O God, thy flock thou hast dispers'd
In every clime and shore;
O let our sentence be revers'd
And be displeas'd no more.

Thou sent'st an earthquake to convulse,
And rend the land in twain;
Heal thou the shock of that repulse
Whose terrors still remain.

Our heavy hearts despond and shrink
At such an awful sign,
And thou hast made thy people drink
Of wrath's unmingled wine.

Thou didst a gracious signal make
For such as own'd thy fear;
That they might triumph for the sake
Of truth, whose voice they hear.

Hence good men have not undergone,
Nor felt the gen'ral dread;
O save us from the gulphs that yawn,
And let our pray'r be sped.

God in his holiness profess'd
My mercy shall regale,
And canton Sichem to be bless'd,
And measure Succoth's vale.

Mine is all Gilead's balmy realm,
Manasses is my own;
Let Ephraim be salvation's helm,
And Judah grace the throne

Moab's a purifying vase,
And Edom shall be shod,
With gospel-peace—Philistia's race,
Rejoice yourselves in God.

What harbinger shall shew the way
To Edom's forts and tours,
That they may see Christ's streamers play,
And join their pray'rs with ours

Has God deserted then our coast,
And will he not employ,
His angel to conduct our host
To such a work of joy?

O send thy succour from on high
When woes or wealth increase;
For man is but a poor ally
In trouble or in peace.

Thro' Christ our Saviour we shall do
Beyond our strength or skill,
And he shall all our foes subdue
To his most blessed will