Hold not Thy peace, O God of my praise; For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.
Psalm 109:1–2
Words: Isaac Watts, The Psalms of David 1719. Love to enemies from the example of Christ.
Music: Penmaenmawr Sarah G. Stock, 1887 (🔊 pdf nwc).
If you know where to get a good photo of Stock (head & shoulders, at least 200×300 pixels),
God of my mercy and my praise,
Thy glory is my song;
Tho’ sinners speak against Thy grace
With a blaspheming tongue.
When in the form of mortal man
Thy Son on earth was found,
With cruel slanders, false and vain,
They compassed Him around.
Their miseries His compassion move,
Their peace He still pursued;
They render hatred for His love,
And evil for His good.
Their malice raged without a cause,
Yet with His dying breath
He prayed for murderers on His cross,
And blest His foes in death.
Lord, shall Thy bright example shine
In vain before my eyes?
Give me a soul akin to Thine
To love my enemies.
The Lord shall on my side engage,
And in my Savior’s name,
I shall defeat their pride and rage
Who slander and condemn.