O Thou Afflicted
James Grant, 1784
O Zion, afflicted with wave upon wave,
Whom no man can comfort, whom no man can save;
With darkness surrounded, by terrors dismayed,
In toiling and rowing thy strength is decayed.
Loud roaring, the billows now nigh overwhelm;
But skilful's the Pilot who sits at the helm;
His wisdom conducts thee, his power thee defends,
In safety and quiet thy warfare he ends.
"O fearful, O faithless!" in mercy he cries;
"My promise, my truth, are they light in thy eyes?
Still, still I am with thee; my promise shall stand;
Through tempest and tossing, I'll bring thee to land.
"Forget thee I will not, I cannot; thy name
Engraved on my heart does for ever remain;
The palms of my hands while I look on I see
The wounds I received when suffering for thee.
"I feel at my heart all thy sighs and thy groans,
For thou art most near me, my flesh and my bones;
In all thy distresses thy Head feels the pain;
Yet all are most needful; not one is in vain.
"Then trust me, and fear not; thy life is secure;
My wisdom is perfect, supreme is my power;
In love I correct thee, thy soul to refine,
To make thee at length in my likeness to shine." |
