Psalms, carefully suited to the Christian worship in the United States of America ‎#237

237. Idolatry reproved

1 Not to our names, thou only just and true,
Not to our worthless names is glory due:
Thy power and grace, thy truth and justice claim
Immortal honors to thy sov'reign name;
Shine thro' the earth from heav'n thy blest abode;
Nor let the heathens say, 'Where is your God?'

2 Heav'n is thine higher court: there stands thy throne
And thro' the lower worlds thy will is done:
God fram'd this earth; the starry heav'ns he spread,
But fools adore the gods their hands have made;
The kneeling crowd, with looks devout, behold
Their silver saviours, and their saints of gold.

[3 Vain are those artful shapes of eyes and ears –
The molten image neither sees nor hears;
Their hands are helpless, nor their feet can move,
They have no speech, nor tho't, nor power, nor love;
Yet sottish mortals make their long complaints
To their deaf idols, and their lifeless saints.

4 The rich have statues well adorn'd with gold;
The poor, content with gods of coarser mould,
With tools of iron carve the senseless stock,
Lopt from a tree, or broken from a rock;
People and priests drive on the solemn trade,
And trust the gods that saws and hammers made.

5 Be heav'n and earth amaz'd! 'Tis hard to say
Which is more stupid, or their gods, or they:
O Israel, trust the Lord: He hears and sees,
He knows thy sorrows and restores thy peace:
His worship does a thousand comforts yield –
He is thy help, and he thine heav'nly shield.

6 In God we trust: our impious foes in vain
Attempt our ruin, and oppose his reign;
Had they prevail'd, darkness had clos'd our days,
And death and silence had forbid his praise:
But we are sav'd, and live: – Let songs arise,
And Zion bless the God that built the skies.

Text Information

• First Line: Not to our names, thou only just and true
• Title: Idolatry reproved
• Meter: As the new tune of the 50th Psalm
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 1791
• Scripture:
  Psalm 115
• Notes: Public Domain.

Tune Information

(No tune information)