1 When first my soul enlisted,
My Savior's foes to fight,
Mistaken friends insisted,
I was not arm'd aright:
So Saul declar'd to David,
He certainly would fail;
Nor could his life be saved,
Without a coat of mail.
2 But David tho' he yielded,
To put the armour on,
Soon found he could not wield it,
And ventur'd forth with none:
With only sling and pebble,
He fought the fight of faith;
The weapon seem'd but feeble,
Yet prov'd Goliah's death.
3 Had I by him been guided,
And quickly thrown away
The armour men provided,
I might have gain'd the day;
But arm'd as they advis'd me,
My expectations fail'd;
The enemy surpris'd me,
And had almost prevail'd.
4 Furnish'd with books and notions,
And arguments and pride,
I practis'd all my motions,
And Satan's pow'r defy'd;
But soon perceiv'd with trouble
That these would do no good;
Iron to them is stubble,
And brass like rotten wood.
5 I triumph'd at a distance,
While he was out of sight;
But faint was my resistance
When forc'd to join in fight:
He broke my sword in shivers,
And pierc'd my boasted shield,
Laugh'd at my vain endeavours,
And drove me from the field.
6 Satan will not be braved
By such a worm as I;
Then let me learn with David
To trust in the Most High;
To plead the name of Jesus,
And use the sling of pray'r;
Thus arm'd, when Satan sees us,
He'll tremble and despair.
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