Scripture Songs, Song 5
The CHURCHES SONG, ISA. XXVI.
VVE have a City wch is strong God will for it ordain
Salvation, and therewith as walls and bulwarks it maintain.
verse 2 The gates thereof do ye set ope, that thereinto may pass
the righteous Nation, wch doth keep the truth, and it embrace.
verse 3 Thou wilt him keep in perfect peace even so shall he be blest
Whose mind is staid on thee, because on thee his trust doth rest.
verse 4 Trust, ye for ever in the Lord, let him be still your stay;
For in the Lord Jehovah, is such strength as lasts for aye.
verse 5 He brings them down that dwel on high he lays the City low,
Even to the ground, that lofty is, to dust he makes it bow.
verse 6 It shall be trodden under foot, the poor on it shall make
Their feet to stand, the needy ones thereon their steps shall take.
verse 7 The just mans way is uprightness, thou Lord that art also
The most upright, do streight the paths wherein the just do go.
verse 8 Yea Lord, for thee we waited have in way thy judgements be;
Our souls desire is to thy name, remembrance eke of thee.
verse 9 Even unto thee, in the night time hath been my souls desire,
Yea with my spirit, for thee I will seek early, and enquire.
For when thy judgements in the earth themselves abroad do show,
The worlds inhabitants will then learn righteousness to know.
verse 10 Let favour shewed be unto the wicked, ne'retheless
He will not set himself to learn and practise righteousness.
Even in the land of uprightness unjustly will he deal,
And not behold the Majesty the Lord doth there reveal.
verse 11 Lord when thy hand is lifted up. they will not it behold,
But yet they shall be made to see shame shall on them take hold;
Even for the envy which their minds against the people bear;
The fire even of thine enemies shall devour, and shall not spare.
verse 12 Lord thou for us wilt peace ordain to us it shall be brought,
For why, the works that are in us, even thou thy self hast wrought.
verse 13 O Lord our God, even other lords ore us the rule did take,
But by thee; only of thy name the mention will we make.
verse 14 But they are dead, they shall not live deceas'd, and shal not rise.
Thou hast them visited and stroy'd their mem'ry fades likewise.
verse 15 The nation Lord thou hast increast and thou art glorify'd,
Thou hast remov'd it far abroad, throughout the earth so wide.
verse 16 O Lord they have thee visited when they in trouble were;
They poured out a prayer, when they thy chast'ning hand did bear.
verse 17 Like one with child, whose time is neer yea is in pain, and cries
By reason of her pangs, so we have been (Lord) in thine eyes.
verse 18 We were with childe, & in that state anguish and pain did find;
And that wch is by us brought forth, is as it were the wind.
We have not wrought deliverance in earth, no none at all:
Inhabitants eke of the world, we have not made them fall.
verse 19 Thy dead shall live, they shal wth my dead body rise and spring:
Ye that do dwell even in the dust, do ye awake and sing.
For as the dew that falls upon the herbs, and doth them spread,
So is thy dew, the earth also it shall cast out the dead.
1. VVE have a strong City, Salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks.
2. Open ye the gates, that the righteous Nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.
3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee.
4. Trust ye in the Lord for ever▪ for in the Lord Iehovah is everlasting strength.
5. For he bringeth down them that dwel on high, the lofty City he layeth it low, he laveth it low, even to the ground, he bringeth it even to the dust;
6. The foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy:
7. The way of the just is uprightness, thou most upright dost weigh the path of the just.
8. Yea in the way of thy judgements O Lord, have we waited for thee, the desire of our soul is to thy name, to the remembrance of thee.
9. With my soul have desired thee in the night, yea, with my spirit within me wil I seek thee early; for when thy judgements are in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
10. Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousnes in the land of uprightnes will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord.
11. Lord, when they hand is lifted up, they will not see, but they shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people, yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour them.
12. Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us; for thou also hast wrought al our works in us.
13. O Lord our God, other lords besides thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name.
14. They are dead, they shall not live, they are deceased, they shall not rise; therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish.
15. Thou hast increased the nation, O Lord, thou hast increased the Nation, thou art glorified; thou hadst removed it far, unto all the ends of the earth.
16. Lord▪ in trouble have they visited thee; they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them.
17. Like as a woman with child, that draweth ueer the time of her delivery, is in pain, and cryeth out in her pangs, so have we been in thy sight, O Lord.
18. We have been with childe, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind, we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth, neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.
19. Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise; awake and sing ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.
FINIS.
End of the text · Samuel Slater, Scripture Songs (1653)