Text:The church's prayer under affliction; or, The vineyard of God wasted

163. The church's prayer under affliction; or, The vineyard of God wasted

1 Great Shepherd of thine Israel,
Who didst between the cherubs dwell,
And led the tribes, thy chosen sheep,
Safe through the desert and the deep –

2 Thy church is in the desert, Lord,
Shine from on high, and light afford;
Turn us to thee, thy love restore,
We shall be sav'd, and sigh no more.

3 Great God, whom heav'nly hosts obey,
How long shall we lament and pray,
And wait in vain thy kind return?
How long shall thy fierce anger burn?

4 Instead of wine and cheerful bread,
Thy saints with their own tears are fed;
Turn us to thee, thy love restore,
We shall be sav'd and sigh no more.

Pause the First.

5 Hast thou not planted with thy hands
A lovely vine in heathen lands;
Did not thy power defend it round,
And heav'nly dews enrich the ground?

6 How did the spreading branches shoot,
And bless the nations with the fruit?
But now, dear Lord, look down and see
Thy mourning vine, that lovely tree.

7 Why is her beauty thus defac'd?
Why hast thou laid her fences waste?
Strangers and foes against her join,
And ev'ry beast devours the vine.

8 Return, almighty God, return;
Nor let thy bleeding vineyard mourn:
Turn us to thee, thy love restore,
We shall be sav'd and sigh no more.

Pause the Second.

9 Lord, when this vine in Canaan grew,
Thou wast its strength and glory too!
Attack'd in vain by all its foes,
'Till the fair branch of promise rose.

10 Fair branch, ordain'd of old to shoot
From David’s stock, from Jacob’s root;
Himself a noble vine, and we
The lesser branches of the tree.

11 ’Tis thy own Son; and he shall stand,
Girt with thy strength, at thy right hand;
Thy first-born Son, adorn'd and bless'd
With pow'r and grace above the rest.

12 O! for his sake, attend our cry,
Shine on thy churches, lest they die;
Turn us to thee, thy love restore,
We shall be sav'd and sigh no more.

Text Information
First Line: Great Shepherd of thine Isreal
Title: The church's prayer under affliction; or, The vineyard of God wasted
Meter: Long Metre
Language: English
Publication Date: 1791
Scripture:
Tune Information
(No tune information)



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