The Whole Booke of Psalmes ‎#F13

F13. The complaint of a sinner

Where righteousnesse doth say,
Lord for my sinfull part,
In wrath thou shouldst me pay,
Vengeance for my desert.
I can it not deny,
But needs I must confesse,
how that continually,
thy laws I do transgresse.

But if it be thy will
With sinners to contend:
Then all thy flock shall spill,
And be lost without end.
For who lives here so right,
That rightly he can say,
He sins not in thy sight,
Full oft and every day?

The Scripture plaine tels me,
The righteous man offendeth
Seven times a day 'gainst thee
Whereon they wrath dependeth:
So that the righteous man
Doth walk in no such paths
But he fals now and than
In danger of thy wrath.

Then sith the case so stands,
That even in the man right wise
Fals oft in sinfull bands,
Whereby they wrath may rise:
Lord, I that am unjust,
And righteousnesse none have:
Whereunto then shall I trust,
My sinfull soule to save?

But truly to that post,
Wherto I cleave and shall:
Which is thy mercy most,
Lord let thy mercy fall.
And mitigate thy mood,
Or els we perish all:
The price of this thy bloud,
Wherin mercy I call.

The Scripture doth declare,
No drop of bloud in thee:
But that thou didst not spare
To shed each drop for me.
Now let those drops most sweet
So moist my heart to drie,
That I with sin repleat,
May live, and sin may die.

That being mortified,
This sin of mine in me,
I may be sanctified,
By grace of thine in thee:
So that I never fall
Into such martall sin:
That my foes infernall
Rejoyce my death therein.

But vouchsafe me to keep
From thse infernall foes:
And from that lake to deep,
Whereas no mercy growes.
And I shall sing the songs,
Confirmed with the just:
That unto thee belongs,
Which art my only trust.

Text Information

• First Line: Where righteousness doth say
• Title: The complaint of a sinner
• Publication Date: 1640

Tune Information

• Name: [Where righteousness doth say]
• Key: d minor