Ponder the words, O Lord, that I do say, Consider what I meditate in me; O hearken to my voice, which calls on Thee, My King, my God, for I to Thee will pray. So shall my voice climb to Thine ears betime; For unto Thee I will my prayer send With earliest entry of the morning prime, And will my waiting eyes to Thee-ward bend. For Thou art that same God, far from delight In that, which of foul wickedness doth smell; No, nor with Thee the naughty ones shall dwell, Nor glorious fools stand in Thy awful sight. Thou hatest all whose works in evil are placed And shalt root out the tongues to lying bent; For Thou, the Lord, in endless hatred hast The murderous man, and so the fraudulent. But I myself will to Thy house address With passport of Thy graces manifold, And in Thy fear knees of my heart will fold Towards the temple of Thy Holyness. Thou Lord, Thou Lord, the saver of Thine Own, Guide me, O in Thy justice be my guide, And make Thy ways to me more plainly known, For all I need that with such foes do bide. For in their mouth not one clear word is spent, Their souls foul sins for inmost lining have Their throat, it is an open swallowing grave, Whereto their tongue is flattering instrument. Give them their due unto their guiltiness, Let their vile thoughts the thinkers' ruin be; With heaped weights of their own sins oppress These most ungrateful rebels unto Thee. So shall all they that trust in Thee do bend, And love the sweet sound of Thy name, rejoice. They ever shall send Thee their praising voice Since ever Thou to them wilt succor send. Thy work it is to bless, Thou blessest them; The just in Thee, on Thee and justice build; Thy work it is such men safe in to hem With kindest care, as with a certain shield. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE OLD SEXTON by PARK BENJAMIN DE PROFUNDIS by ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING HER LIKENESS by DINAH MARIA MULOCK CRAIK THE PESSIMIST by BENJAMIN FRANKLIN KING ON HIS BEING [OR, HAVING] ARRIVED AT THE AGE OF TWENTY-THREE by JOHN MILTON NEURASTENIA by AGNES MARY F. ROBINSON ABRAHAM LINCOLN (1) by RICHARD HENRY STODDARD |