Psalm 80Words: Isaac Watts The church's prayer under affliction ; or, The vineyard of God wasted. 1 Great Shepherd of thine Israel, Who didst between the cherubs dwell, And lead the tribes, thy chosen sheep, Safe through the desert and the deep; 2 Thy church is in the desert now, Shine from on high and guide us through; Turn us to thee, thy love restore, We shall be saved and sigh no more. 3 Great God, whom heav'nly hosts obey, How long shall we lament and pray, And wait in vain thy kind return? How long shall thy fierce anger burn. 4 Instead of wine and cheerful bread Thy saints with their own tears are fed: Turn us to thee, thy love restore, We shall be saved, and sigh no more. PAUSE I. 5 Hast thou not planted with thy hands A lovely vine in heathen lands? Did not thy power defend it round, And heav'nly dews enrich the ground? 6 How did the spreading branches shoot, And bless the nations with the fruit! But now, dear Lord, look down and see Thy mourning vine, that lovely tree. 7 Why is its beauty thus defaced? Why hast thou laid her fences waste? Strangers and foes against her join, And ev'ry beast devours the vine. 8 Return, Almighty God, return, Nor let thy bleeding vineyard mourn; Turn us to thee, thy love restore, We shall be saved, and sigh no more. PAUSE II. 9 Lord, when this vine in Canaan grew, Thou wast its strength and glory too; Attacked in vain by all its foes, Till the fair Branch of Promise rose: 10 Fair Branch, ordained of old to shoot From David's stock, from Jacob's root; Himself a noble vine, and we The lesser branches of the tree. 11 'Tis thy own Son; and he shall stand Girt with thy strength at thy right hand; Thy first-born Son, adorned and blessed With power and grace above the rest. 12 O for his sake attend our cry, Shine on thy churches lest they die; Turn us to thee, thy love restore, We shall be saved, and sigh no more. |
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