The Cyber Hymnal ‎#9581

9581. Help Us, O Lord, The Good Decay

1 Help us, O Lord, the good decay;
The faithful from the world depart;
The liar rules with subtle sway,
The false smooth lip, the double heart.

2 The flatterer’s guile the Lord shall quell,
The mouth that speaks with boastful glee—
Our tongues in matchless power excel,
Our lips are strong; what lord have we?

3 He hears the poor man’s deep-drawn sighs
He sees the hearts that inly mourn,
And Lo, I come, He saith, I rise
To save thee from the tyrant’s scorn.

4 Thy Word is pure and perfect, Lord,
As silver in the furnace tried:
Seven times assayed, that holy Word
Seven times hath come forth purified.

5 The souls, O Lord, that with Thee walk
Thy love will shield in evil hour,
On every side, though sinners stalk,
And baseness climbs to lofty power.

Text Information

• First Line: Help us, O Lord, the good decay
• Title: Help Us, O Lord, The Good Decay
• Author: Benjamin H. Kennedy
• Meter: LM
• Language: English
• Source: Hymnologia Christiana (London: Longman, Green, Longman, Roberts & Green, 1863)
• Copyright: Public Domain

Tune Information

• Name: IRAE
• Composer: Joseph Barnby, 1838-1896
• Meter: LM
• Key: E♭ Major
• Copyright: Public Domain