Blest Is the Man Who Shuns the Place

Blest is the man who shuns the place

Where sin­ners love to meet;

Who fears to tread their wick­ed ways

And hates the scoff­er’s seat.

But in the sta­tutes of the Lord

Has placed his chief de­light;

By day he reads or hears the Word

And me­di­tates by night.

He

like a plant of ge­ner­ous kind

By liv­ing wa­ters set

Safe from the storms and blast­ing wind

Enjoys a peace­ful state.

Green as the leaf

and ev­er fair

Shall his pro­fess­ion shine;

While fruits of ho­li­ness ap­pear

Like clus­ters on the vine.

Not so the im­pi­ous and un­just;

What vain de­signs they form!

Their hopes are blown away like dust

Or chaff be­fore the storm.

Sinners in judg­ment shall not stand

Amongst the sons of grace

When Christ the Judge at His right hand

Appoints His saints a place.

His eye be­holds the path they tread

His heart ap­proves it well;

But crook­ed ways of sin­ners lead

Down to the gates of hell.