Psalms, carefully suited to the Christian worship in the United States of America ‎#236

236. The true God our refuge; or, Idolatry reproved

1 Not to ourselves, who are but dust –
Not to ourselves is glory due,
Eternal God, thou only just,
Thou only gracious, wise and true.

2 Display to earth thy dreadful name:
Why should a heathen's haughty tongue
Insult us, and, to raise our shame,
Say, 'where's the God you've serv'd so long?'

3 The God we serve maintains his throne
Above the clouds, beyond the skies;
Through all the earth his will is done,
He knows our groans, he hears our cries.

4 But the vain idols they adore
Are senseless shapes of stone and wood;
At best a mass of glittering ore,
A silver saint, and golden god.

[5 With eyes and ears, they carve the head;
Deaf are their ears, their eyes are blind;
In vain are costly offerings made,
And vows are scatter'd in the wind.

6 Their feet were never made to move,
Nor hands to save, when mortals pray;
Mortals that pay them fear or love,
Seem to be blind and deaf as they.

7 O Israel, make the Lord thy hope,
Thy help, thy refuge, and thy rest;
The Lord shall build thy ruins up,
And bless the people and the priest.

8 The dead no more can speak thy praise –
They dwell in silence and the grave;
But we shall live to sing thy grace,
And tell the world thy power to save.

Text Information

• First Line: Not to ourselves, who are but dust
• Title: The true God our refuge; or, Idolatry reproved
• Meter: First Metre
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 1791
• Scripture:
  Psalm 115

Tune Information

(No tune information)