The Psalms of David ‎#90

90. Our God, our help in ages past

1 Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.

2 Beneath the shadow of thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is thine arm alone,
And our defence is sure.

3 Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth receiv'd her frame,
From everlasting thou art God,
To endless years the same.

4 Thy word commands our flesh to dust,
"Return, ye sons of men;"
All nations rose from earth at first,
And turn'd to earth again.

5 A thousand ages in thy sight
Are like an ev'ning gone;
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising dawn.

6 The busy tribes of flesh and blood,
With all their lives and cares,
Are carried downwards by the flood,
And lost in following year.

7 Time like an ever-rolling stream,
Bears all its sons away.
They fly forgotten, as a dream
Dies at the op'ning day.

8 Like flow'ry fields the nations stand
Pleas'd with the morning light;
The flow'rs beneath the mow'r's hand
Lie with'ring ere 'tis night.

9 Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be thou our guard while troubles last,
And our eternal home.

Part II.

10 Lord, if thine eyes survey our faults,
And justice grows severe,
Thy dreadful wrath exceeds our thoughts,
And burns beyond our fear.

11 Thine anger turns our frame to dust;
By one offence to thee,
Adam, with all his sons, have lost
Their immortality.

12 Life, like a vain amusement flies,
A fable or a song;
By swift degrees our nature dies,
Nor can our joys be long.

13 ’Tis but a few whose days amount
To threescore years and ten;
And all beyond that short account,
Is sorrow, toil, and pain.

14 Our vitals with laborious strife
Bear up the crazy load,
And drag those poor remains of life
Along the tiresome road.

15 Almighty God, reveal thy love,
And not thy wrath alone:
Oh let our sweet experience prove
The mercies of thy throne.

16 Our souls would learn the heav’nly art
T’improve the hours we have,
That we may act the wiser part,
And live beyond the grave.

Part III.

17 Return, O God of love, return;
Earth is a tiresome place:
How long shall we thy children mourn
Our absence from thy face?

18 Let heav’n succeed our painful years,
Let sin and sorrow cease,
And in proportion to our tears,
So make our joys increase.

19 Thy wonders to thy servants show,
Make thy own work compleat;
Then shall our souls thy glory know,
And own thy love was great.

20 Then shall we shine before thy throne
In all thy beauty, Lord:
And the poor service we have done
Meet a divine reward.

Text Information

• First Line: Our God, our help in ages past
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 1789
• Scripture:
  Psalm 90
• Copyright: Public Domain

Tune Information

(No tune information)