Psalm 50
Words: Isaac Watts
Note: This page also contains a Long Metre
version
and two very interesting other versions, one is 10,10,10,10,10,10
and the other in the same metre as the Old Version (10,10,10,10,11,11)
-- a
version that builds a lot of force and is especially suited for this psalm and
its theme of final judgement
v. 1--6. PART 1. The last judgment.
1 The Lord, the Judge, before his throne
Bids the whole earth draw nigh,
The nations near the rising sun,
And near the western sky.
2 No, more shall bold blasphemers say,
"Judgment will ne'er begin"
No more abuse his long delay
To impudence and sin.
3 Throned on a cloud our God shall come,
Bright flames prepare his way;
Thunder and darkness, fire and storm,
Lead on the dreadful day.
4 Heav'n from above his call shall hear,
Attending angels come,
And earth and hell shall know and fear
His justice and their doom.
5 "But gather all my saints," he cries,
"That made their peace with God
By the Redeemer's sacrifice,
And sealed it with his blood.
6 "Their faith and works, brought forth to light
Shall make the world confess,
My sentence of reward is right,
And heav'n adore my grace."
v. 10, 11, 14, 15, ~3. PART 2.
Obedience is better than sacrifice.
1 Thus saith the Lord, "The spacious fields,
And flocks, and herds, are mine;
O'er all the cattle of the hills
I claim a right divine.
2 "I ask no sheep for sacrifice,
Nor bullocks burnt with fire;
To hope and love, to pray and praise,
Is all that I require.
3 "Call upon me when trouble's near,
My hand shall set thee free;
Then shall thy thankful lips declare
The honor due to me.
4 The man that offers humble praise,
He glorifies me best;
And those that tread my holy ways
Shall my salvation taste."
v. 1, 5,8, 16, 21, 23. PART 3.
The judgment of hypocrites.
1 When Christ to judgment shall descend,
And saints surround their Lord,
He calls the nations to attend,
And hear his awful word.
2 "Not for the want of bullocks slain
Will I the world reprove;
Altars, and rites, and forms are vain,
Without the fire of love.
3 "And what have hypocrites to do
To bring their sacrifice?
They call my statutes just and true,
But deal in theft and lies.
4 "Could you expect to 'scape my sight,
And still without control?
But I shall bring your crimes to light,
With anguish in your soul."
5 Consider, ye that slight the Lord,
Before his wrath appear,
If once you fall beneath his sword,
There's no deliv'rer there.
Part 3
Hypocrisy exposed
1 The Lord, the Judge, his churches warns,
Let hypocrites attend and fear,
Who place their hope ill rites and forms,
But make not faith nor love their care.
2 Vile wretches dare rehearse his name
With lips of falsehood and deceit;
A friend or brother they defame,
And soothe and flatter those they hate.
3 They watch to do their neighbors wrong,
Yet dare to seek their Maker's face;
They take his cov'nant on their tongue,
But break his laws, abuse his grace.
4 To heav'n they lift their hands unclean,
Defiled with lust, defiled with blood;
By night they practice ev'ry sin
By day their mouths draw near to God.
5 And while his judgments long delay,
They grow secure and sin the more;
They think he sleeps as well as they,
And put far off the dreadful hour.
6 O dreadful hour! when God draws near
And sets their crimes before their eyes!
His wrath their guilty souls shall tear,
And no deliv'rer dare to rise.
(10,10,10,10,10,10)
The last judgement.
1 The Lord, the Sov'reign, sends his summons forth,
Calls the south nations and awakes the north;
From east to west the sounding orders spread,
Through distant worlds and regions of the dead:
No more shall atheists mock his long delay;
His vengeance sleeps no more: behold the day!
2 Behold, the Judge descends, his guards are nigh;
Tempest and fire attend him down the sky:
Heav'n, earth, and hell, draw near; let all things come
To hear his justice, and the sinner's doom:
"But gather first my saints," the Judge commands,
"Bring them, ye angels, from their distant lands.
3 "Behold, my cov'nant stands for ever good,
Sealed by th' eternal Sacrifice in blood,
And signed with all their names; the Greek, the Jew,
That paid the ancient worship or the new,
There's no distinction here; come, spread their thrones.
And near me seat my fav'rites and my sons.
4 "I, their Almighty Savior and their God,
I am their Judge: ye heav'ns, proclaim abroad
My just eternal sentence, and declare
Those awful truths that sinners dread to hear:
Sinners in Zion, tremble and retire;
I doom the painted hypocrite to fire.
5 "Not for the want of goats or bullocks slain
Do I condemn thee; bulls and goats are vain
Without the flames of love; in vain the store
Of brutal off'rings that were mine before;
Mine are the tamer beasts and savage breed,
Flocks, herds, and fields and forests where they feed.
6 "If I were hungry, would I ask thee food ?
When did I thirst, or drink thy bullocks' blood ?
Can I be flattered with thy cringing bows,
Thy solemn chatt'rings and fantastic vows ?
Are my eyes charmed thy vestments to behold,
Glaring in gems, and gay in woven gold?
7 "Unthinking wretch! how couldst thou hope to please
A God, a Spirit, with such toys as these,
While, with my grace and statutes on thy tongue,
Thou lov'st deceit, and dost thy brother wrong?
In vain to pious forms thy zeal pretends,
Thieves and adulterers are thy chosen friends.
8 "Silent I waited with long-suff'ring love,
But didst thou hope that I should ne'er reprove?
And cherish such an impious thought within,
That God, the Righteous, would indulge thy sin?
Behold my terrors now: my thunders roll,
And thy own crimes affright thy guilty soul."
9 Sinners, awake betimes; ye fools, be wise;
Awake before this dreadful morning rise;
Change your vain thoughts, your crooked works amend,
Fly to the Savior, make the Judge your friend;
Lest, like a lion, his last vengeance tear
Your trembling souls, and no deliv'rer near.
(10,10,10,10,11,11)
To the old proper Tune.
1 The God of glory sends his summons forth,
Calls the south nations and awakes the north;
From east to west the sov'reign orders spread,
Through distant worlds and regions of the dead:
The trumpet sounds; hell trembles; heav'n rejoices;
Lift up your heads, ye saints, with cheerful voices.
2 No more shall atheists mock his long delay;
His vengeance sleeps no more; behold the day:
Behold, the Judge descends; his guards are nigh;
Tempests and fire attend him down the sky.
When God appears, all nature shall adore him;
While sinners tremble, saints rejoice before him.
3 "Heav'n, earth, and hell, draw near; let all things come
To hear my justice, and the sinner's doom;
But gather first my saints," the Judge commands,
"Bring them, ye angels, from their distant lands."
When Christ returns, wake ev'ry cheerful passion;
And shout, ye saints; he comes for your salvation.
4 "Behold, my cov'nant stands for ever good,
Sealed by th'eternal Sacrifice in blood,
And signed with all their names; the Greek, the Jew,
That paid the ancient worship or the new."
There's no distinction here; join all your voices,
And raise your heads, ye saints, for heav'n rejoices.
5 "Here," saith the Lord, "ye angels, spread their thrones
And near me seat my fav'rites and my sons:
Come, my redeemed, possess the joys prepared
Ere time began; 'tis your divine reward."
When Christ returns, wake ev'ry cheerful passion;
And shout, ye saints; he comes for your salvation.
4 "I, their Almighty Savior and their God,
I am their Judge: ye heav'ns, proclaim abroad
My just eternal sentence, and declare
Those awful truths that sinners dread to hear:
Sinners in Zion, tremble and retire;
I doom the painted hypocrite to fire.
5 "Not for the want of goats or bullocks slain
Do I condemn thee; bulls and goats are vain
Without the flames of love; in vain the store
Of brutal off'rings that were mine before;
Mine are the tamer beasts and savage breed,
Flocks, herds, and fields and forests where they feed.
6 "If I were hungry, would I ask thee food?
When did I thirst, or drink thy bullocks' blood?
Can I be flattered with thy cringing bows,
Thy solemn chatt'rings and fantastic vows?
Are my eyes charmed thy vestments to behold,
Glaring in gems, and gay in woven gold?
7 "Unthinking wretch! how couldst thou hope to please
A God, a Spirit, with such toys as these?
While, with my grace and statutes on thy tongue,
Thou lov'st deceit, and dost thy brother wrong?
In vain to pious forms thy zeal pretends,
Thieves and adulterers are thy chosen friends.
6 "I am the Saviour, I th' Almighty God,
I am the Judge: ye heav'ns, proclaim abroad
My just eternal sentence, and declare
Those awful truths that sinners dread to hear."
When God appears, all nature shall adore him;
While sinners tremble, saints rejoice before him.
7 "Stand forth, thou bold blasphemer, and profane,
Now feel my wrath, nor call my threat'nings vain
Thou hypocrite, once dressed in saints' attire,
I doom the painted hypocrite to fire."
Judgment proceeds; hell trembles; heav'n rejoices;
Lift up your heads, ye saints, with cheerful voices.
8 "Not for the want of goats or bullocks slain
Do I condemn thee; bulls and goats are vain
Without the flame of love; in vain the store
Of brutal off'rings, that were mine before."
Earth is the Lord's, all nature shall adore him;
While sinners tremble, saints rejoice before him.
9 "If I were hungry, would I ask thee food?
When did I thirst, or drink thy bullocks' blood?
Mine are the tamer beasts and savage breed,
Flocks, herds, and fields and forests where they feed."
All is the Lord's, he rules the wide creation;
Gives sinners vengeance, and the saints salvation.
10 "Can I be flattered with thy cringing bows,
Thy solemn chatt'rings and fantastic vows?
Are my eyes charmed thy vestments to behold,
Glaring in gems, and gay in woven gold?"
God is the Judge of hearts, no fair disguises
Can screen the guilty when his vengeance rises.
PAUSE THE SECOND.
11 "Unthinking wretch! how couldst thou hope to please
A God, a Spirit, with such toys as these,
While, with my grace and statutes on thy tongue,
Thou lov'st deceit, and dost thy brother wrong?"
Judgment proceeds; hell trembles; heav'n rejoices;
Lift up your heads, ye saints, with cheerful voices.
12 "In vain to pious forms thy zeal pretends;
Thieves and adulterers are thy chosen friends;
While the false flatt'rer at my altar waits,
His hardened soul divine instruction hates."
God is the Judge of hearts, no fair disguises
Can screen the guilty when his vengeance rises.
13 "Silent I waited with long-suff'ring love;
But didst thou hope that I should ne'er reprove?
And cherish such an impious thought within,
That the All-Holy would indulge thy sin?"
See, God appears; all nature joins t' adore him;
Judgment proceeds, and sinners fall before him.
14 "Behold my terrors now; my thunders roll,
And thy own crimes affright thy guilty soul;
Now like a lion shall my vengeance tear
Thy bleeding heart, and no deliv'rer near."
Judgment concludes; hell trembles; heav'n rejoices;
Lift up your heads, ye saints, with cheerful voices.
15 Sinners, awake betimes; ye fools, be wise;
Awake before this dreadful morning rise;
Change your vain thoughts, your crooked works amend,
Fly to the Savior, make the Judge your friend:
Then join the saints, wake ev'ry cheerful passion;
When Christ returns, he comes for your salvation.
