1 O God, my refuge, hear my cries,
Behold my flowing tears;,
For earth and hell my hurt devise,
And triumph in my fears.
2 Their rage is level'd at my life,
My soul with guilt they load,
And fill my thoughts with inward strife,
To shake my hopes in God.
3 What inward pains my heart-strings wound,
I groan with ev'ry breath;
Horror and fear beset me round
Amongst the shades of death.
4 Oh were I like a feather'd dove,
And innocence had wings;
I’d fly, and make a long remove
From all these restless things.
5 Let me to some wild desert go,
And find a peaceful home,
Where storms of malice never blow,
Temptations never come.
6 Vain hopes, and vain inventions all
To ’scape the rage of hell!
The mighty God on whom I call,
Can save me here as well.
7 By morning light I’ll seek his face,
At noon repeat my cry,
The night shall hear me ask his grace,
Nor will he long deny.
8 God shall preserve my soul from fear,
Or shield me when afraid;
Ten thousand angels must appear
If he command their aid.
9 I cast my burdens on the Lord,
The Lord sustains them all;
My courage rests upon his word,
That saints shall never fall.
10 My highest hopes shall not be vain,
My lips shall spread his praise;
While cruel and deceitful men,
Scarce live out half their days.
Source: Church Hymn Book: consisting of newly composed hymns with the addition of hymns and psalms, from other authors, carefully adapted for the use of public worship, and many other occasions (1st ed.) #P.LV
First Line: | O God, my refuge, hear my cries |
Title: | Support for the Afflicted and Tempted Soul |
Author: | Isaac Watts |
Meter: | 8.6.8.6 |
Language: | English |
Copyright: | Public Domain |
O God, my Refuge, hear my cries. I. Watts. [Psalms lv.] Appeared in his Psalms of David, &c, 1719, p. 147 (misprinted 947), in 10 stanzas of 4 lines, and headed, "Support for the afflicted and tempted Soul." In explanation of some portions of the Psalm which are not paraphased, the following note is added:—
"I have left out some whole Psalms, and several parts of others that tend to fill the mind with overwhelming sorrows, or sharp resentment; neither of which are so well suited to the spirit of the Gospel, and therefore the particular complaints of David against Achitophel here are entirely omitted".
This paraphrase is given in some collections in full, and in others in an abbreviated form. In the Leeds Hymn Book, 1853, and others, it begins with stanza viii. as "God shall preserve my soul from fear."
--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)