Psalms ‎#80

80. The Church's Prayer under Affliction; or, The Vineyard of God wasted

1 Great shepherd of thine Israel,
Who didst between the cherubs dwell,
And led the tribes, thy chosen sheep,
Safe through the desert and the deep:

2 Thy church is in the desert Lord,
Shine from on high, and light afford;
Turn us to thee, thy love restore,
We shall be sav'd and sigh no more.

3 Great God, whom heav'nly hosts obey,
How long shall we lament and pray?
And wait in vain thy kind return?
How long shall thy fierce anger burn?

4 Instead of wine and cheerful bread,
Thy saints with their own tears are fed;
Turn us to thee, thy love restore,
We shall be sav'd and sigh no more.

Pause 1

5 Hast thou not planted with thy hands
A lovely vine in heathen lands?
Did not thy power defend it round,
And heav'nly dews enrich the ground?

6 How did the spreading branches shoot,
And bless the nations with the fruit;
But now, dear Lord, look down and see
Thy mourning vine, that lovely tree.

7 Why is her beauty thus defac'd,
Why hast thou laid her fences waste?
Strangers and foes against her join,
And ev'ry beast devours the vine.

8 Return, almighty God, return;
Nor let thy bleeding vineyard mourn:
Turn us to thee, thy love restore,
We shall be sav'd and sigh no more.

Pause 2

9 Lord, when this vine in Canaan grew,
Thou wast its strength and glory too;
Attack'd in vain by all its foes,
'Till the fair Branch of promise rose.

10 Fair Branch, ordain'd of old to shoot
From David’s stock, from Jacob’s root;
Himself a noble Vine, and we
The lesser branches of the tree:

11 ’Tis thy own Son; and he shall stand
Girt with thy strength at thy right hand;
Thy first-born Son, adorn'd and blest
With pow'r and grace above the rest.

12 Oh! for his sake attend our cry,
Shine on thy churches lest they die:
Turn us to thee, thy love restore,
We shall be sav'd and sigh no more.

Text Information

• First Line: Great shepherd of thine Israel
• Title: The Church's Prayer under Affliction; or, The Vineyard of God wasted
• Meter: Long Metre
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 1793
• Scripture:
  Psalm 80
• Notes: Public Domain.

Tune Information

(No tune information)