Christian Hymns, Poems, and Spiritual Songs ‎#I.LXXIV

I.LXXIV. This is the Fast, which I will choose

1 This is the Fast, which I will choose,
The Burdens to undo;
The Bands of Wickedness to loose,
And let the Pris'ner go:
Let such who are opprest be freed,
Break ev'ry Yoke in twain,
Gladly supply the Brethren's Need,
And thus allay their Pain:

2 To hungry Souls to deal thy Bread,
Nor thrust them from thy Door,
But in thine House a Table spread,
For all the cast-out Poor:
To all the Naked Cov'ring give,
Their drooping Hearts refresh;
Nor hide thyself, whilst thou dost live,
From those who're thine own Flesh.

3 Attentive to the heav'nly word
We stand convicted deep,
That we ourselves, before the Lord,
This Fast can never keep:
But up we look unto our Head,
Jesus the Fast hath kept;
And us in him, thro' all he did,
The Father doth accept.

4 He kept the Fast, which God did choose;
Our Burdens did undo;
Our Bands of Wickedness did loose,
And let us Pris'ners go:
From Sin's Oppression us he freed,
Brake ev'ry Yoke in twain,
Gladly supply'd his Brethren's need,
And sav'd us from Hell's Pain.

5 To us he deals the living Bread,
Nor thrusts us from his Door;
But to his House, and Table spread,
He brings us cast-out Poor:
Cloath'd with the Labours of his Cross,
He did our Hearts refresh;
Nor did he hide himself from us,
But calls us his own Flesh.

6 Hail, Alpha and Omega, hail!
All hail, thou first and last!
O'er all our foes we shall prevail,
For thou hast kept the Fast:
Complete in thee, our dearest Lord,
Thy Works as ours are known:
We now, encourag'd by thy Word,
Conclude thy Fast's our own.

Text Information

• First Line: This is the Fast, which I will choose
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 1776
• Scripture:
  Isaiah 5:8

Tune Information

(No tune information)