The Whole Booke of Psalmes ‎#22

22. The Complaint of a sinner

1 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 lawes I doe transgresse.

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

3 The Scripture plaine tels mee,
The righteous man offendeth
Seaven times a day to thee,
Whereon thy wrath dependeth:
So that the righteous man
Doth walke in no such path,
But he fals now and than
In danger of thy wrath.

4 Then sith the case so stands,
The even the man right wise
Fals oft in sinfull bands,
Whereby thy wrath may raise -
Lord I that am unjust,
And righteousnesse none have,
Whereto then shall I trust
My sinfull soule to save?

5 But truely to that post,
Whereto I cleave and shall,
Which is thy mercy most,
Lord let thy mercy fall.
And mittigate thy moode,
Or else we perish all:
The price of this thy bloud,
Wherein mercy I call.

6 The Scripture doth declare,
No drop of bloud in thee:
But that thou didst not spare
To shed each drop for mee.
Now let those drops most sweet
So moist my heart so dry:
That I with sinne repleat,
May live but sinne may dye.

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

8 But vouchsafe me to keepe
From those infernall foes:
And from that lake so deepe,
Whereas no mercy growes.
And I shall sing the songs,
Confirmed with the just:
That unto thee belongs,
Which art mine only trust.

Text Information

• First Line: Where righteousnesse doth say, Lord for my sinfull part
• Title: The Complaint of a sinner
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 1621
• Notes: Public domain.

Tune Information

• Name: [Where righteousnesse doth say, Lord for my sinfull part]
• harmonizer: T. R.
• Incipit: 13234 22355 45232
• Key: g minor or modal