Classic Poem

Not us, I say, not us,
But thine own name respect, eternal Lord,
And make it glorious
To show thy mercy and confirm thy word.
Why, Lord, why should these nations say:
" Where doth your God now make his stay?"

You ask where our God is?
In heav'n enthron'd, no mark of mortal eye;
Nor hath, nor will he, miss
What likes his will, to will effectually.
What are your idols? we demand:
Gold, silver, works of workmens' hands.

They mouths, but speechless, have;
Eyes, sightless; ears, no news of noise can tell;
Who them their noses gave
Gave not their noses gave
Gave not their noses any sense of smell;
Nor hands can feel, nor feet can go,
Nor sign of sound their throats can show.

And wherein differ you
Who, having made them, make of them your trust?
But Israel, pursue
Thy trust in God, the target of the just.
O Aaron's house, the like do ye:
He is their aid, their target he.

All that Jehovah fear
Trust in Jehovah, he our aid and shield.
He us in mind doth bear,
He will to us abundant blessings yield;
Will evermore with grace and good
Bless Jacob's house, bless Aaron's brood.

Bless all that bear him awe,
Both great and small. The conduits of his store
He never dry shall draw,
But you and yours enrich still more and more.
Blest, O thrice blest, whom he hath chose,
Who first with heav'ns did earth enclose.

Where height of highest skies
Removed most from floor of lowly ground
With vaulted roof doth rise,
Himself took up his dwelling there to foun.
To mortal men he gracious gave
The lowly ground to hold and have.

And why? His praise to show;
Which how can dead men, Lord, in any wise?
Who down descending go
Into the place where silence lodged lies?
But save us. We thy praise record
Will now, and still: O praise the Lord!