Religion
Psalm 36
From Versions and Paraphrases of Select Psalms · Osborn ed., vol. 8 (1870)
Mv heart, to every vice inclined,
The sinner's closest sin bewrays;
The fear of God he casts behind.
He hides himself among the trees
Self-soothing in his lost estate,
Sleeps on secure, and wakes too late.
His words are all deceit and Hes;
He hatches mischief on his bed;
No longer to salvation wise:
In every thought, and word, and deed,
He cleaves to sin, and sin alone;
Evil and he, I find, are one.
But Thou, O Lord, art full of grace;
Above the clouds Thy mercies rise;
Steadfast Thy truth and faithfulness,
Thy word of )romise never dies;
Nor earth can shake, nor hell remove,
The base of Thine eternal love.
Unsearchable Thy judgments are,
A boundless, bottomless abyss!
But, lo! Thy providential care
O'er all Thy works extended is:
In 'i'hee the creatures live and move.
And are: all glory to Thy love!
Thy love sustains the world it made;
Thy love preserves both man and beast
Beneath Thy wing's almighty shade
The sons of men securely rest;
And those who haunt the hallow'd place
Shall banquet on Thy richest grace.
Their souls shall drink the crystal stream
Which ever issues from Thy throne:
Fountain of joy and bliss supreme,
Eternal life and Thou art one;
To us, to all, so freely given,
The Light of life, the Heaven of heaven!
Stay, then, with those that know Thy peace.
The simple men of heart sincere;
From all their foes and sins release,
From pride and lust redeem them here;
Thine utmost saving grace extend,
And love, O love them to the end!
The prayer is seal'd: we now foresee
The downfall of our inbred foes:
Jesus hath got the victory,
His own right hand our sins o'erthrows.
Destroys their being with their power:
They die, they fall to rise no more.
Cite this poem
MLA
Wesley, Charles. “Psalm 36.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/wesley_c/2100/.
Chicago
Wesley, Charles. “Psalm 36.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/wesley_c/2100/.
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