Lord, if Thou dost not soon appear,
Virtue and truth will fly away;
A faithful man amongst us here
Will scarce be found, if Thou delay.

The whole discourse, when neighbors meet,
Is filled with trifles loose and vain;
Their lips are flattery and deceit,
And their proud language is profane.

But lips that with deceit abound
Shall not maintain their triumph long;
The God of vengeance will confound
The flattering and blaspheming tongue.

�Yet shall our words be free,� they cry;
�Our tongues shall be controlled by none:
Where is the Lord will ask us why?
Or say our lips are not our own?�

The Lord, Who sees the poor oppressed,
And hears th�oppressor�s haughty strain,
Will rise to give His children rest,
Nor shall they trust His Word in vain.

Thy Word, O Lord, though often tried,
Void of deceit shall still appear;
Not silver, seven times purified,
From dross, and mixture, shines so clear.

Thy grace shall in the darkest hour
Defend the holy soul from harm;
Though when the vilest men have power,
On every side will sinners swarm.