Salvum me fac

Help Lord for good and godly men

Author: Thomas Sternhold
Published in 2 hymnals

Representative Text

1 Help, Lord, for good and godly men
do perish and decay,
And faith and truth from worldly men
is parted clean away.

2 Whoso doth with his neighbour talk,
'tis all but vainty;
For ev'ry man bethinketh how
to speak deceitfully.

3 But flatt'ring and deceitful lips,
and tongues that be so stout
To speak proud words and make great brags,
the Lord will soon cut out.

4 For they say still, We will prevail,
our lips shall us extol;
Our tongues are ours, we ought to speak;
what lord shall us controul?

5 But for the great complaint and cry
of those that are opprest,
I will arise now, saith the Lord,
and them restore to rest.

6 God's word is like to silver pure,
that from the dross is try'd,
Which hath not less than seven times n
the fire been purify'd.

7 Now since thy promise is to help,
Lord, keep thy promise then,
And save us not and evermore
from this ill kind of men.

8 For now the wicked world if full
of mischiefs manifold,
Whilst vanity with worldly men
so highly is extoll'd.

Source: The Whole Book of Psalms #XII

Author: Thomas Sternhold

Thomas Sternhold was Groom of the Robes to Henry VIII and Edward VI. With Hopkins, he produced the first English version of the Psalms before alluded to. He completed fifty-one; Hopkins and others composed the remainder. He died in 1549. Thirty-seven of his psalms were edited and published after his death, by his friend Hopkins. The work is entitled "All such Psalms of David as Thomas Sternhold, late Groome of the King's Majestye's Robes, did in his Lyfetime drawe into Englyshe Metre." Of the version annexed to the Prayer Book, Montgomery says: "The merit of faithful adherence to the original has been claimed for this version, and need not to be denied, but it is the resemblance which the dead bear to the living." Wood, in his "Athe… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Help Lord for good and godly men
Title: Salvum me fac
Author: Thomas Sternhold

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The Whole Book of Psalms #XII

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The Whole Booke of Psalmes #5b

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