Classic Poem

Thee will I love with all my soul,
O Lord, my strength, my rock, my fort:
Thou art my Saviour and my God,
The castle whither I resort.

To thee, with hope, I still retire,
Thou shield, that guards my innocence:
The horn of my salvation thou,
The lofty tower of my defence.

My refuge, my deliverer-God;
Thou sav'st me from approaching wrongs.
J EHOVAH'S name I did invoke,
To whom the highest praise belongs.

'Tis he who sav'd me from my foes,
When pangs of death inclos'd me round;
By raging floods of impious men
I fear'd to be o'erwhelm'd and drown'd.

When mortal woes did raise my fears,
And snares of death my soul surprize;
In this my straight to heaven I pray'd,
And to my God address'd my cries.

He from his sacred palace soon
To my complaining voice attends:
My piercing cries before him come;
And soon an ear of grace he lends.

The earth his fierce resentment felt,
And trembled at his angry look;
The hills with their foundations melt,
And at his wrath with terror shook.

Black clouds of smoke that blot the sky,
Th' almighty's kindling anger shew:
Devouring fire his breath appear'd,
And burning coals around him flew.

He bow'd the heav'ns, and down he came:
His feet on gloomy darkness trod:
He on a cherub's pinions flew,
The chariot this on which he rode.

High on a whirl-wind's rapid wings,
How swift he cut his airy way!
The shades of darkness were his veil,
To hide his awful face from day.

Thick mists and clouds that shade the skies
Were spread, for his pavilion, round:
But mists and clouds were veils too thin
For his all-piercing glory found.

The dazling brightness of his face
Did soon the frighted shades dispel;
Impetuous showers of ratling hail,
And storms of fire, before him fell.

Thro' heaven's wide arch his thunder roar'd:
The clouds obey'd their maker's call:
Impetuous showers of ratling hail,
And storms of fire before him fall.

At foes his burning arrows flew,
Broke and dispers'd their troops around;
He forked lightnings at them threw,
Struck them with terror to the ground.

Deep beds of rivers then were seen:
The world's foundations open lay:
At thy rebuke, Lord, at the blast,
Thy anger breath'd that wondrous day.