Why Doth the Lord Stand Off So Far?

Why doth the Lord stand off so far?

And why con­ceal His face

When great ca­la­mi­ties ap­pear

And times of deep dis­tress?

Lord

shall the wick­ed still de­ride

Thy jus­tice and Thy pow­er?

Shall they ad­vance their heads in pride

And still Thy saints de­vour?

They put Thy judg­ments from their sight

And then in­sult the poor;

They boast in their ex­alt­ed height

That they shall fall no more.

Arise

O God

lift up Thine hand

Attend our hum­ble cry;

No ene­my shall dare to stand

When God as­cends on high.

Why do the men of mal­ice rage

And say

with fool­ish pride

The God of Heav’n will ne’er en­gage

To fight on Zi­on’s side?

But Thou for­ev­er art our Lord;

And pow­er­ful is Thine hand

As when the hea­thens felt Thy sword

And per­ished from Thy land.

Thou wilt pre­pare our hearts to pray

And cause Thine ear to hear;

He heark­ens what His child­ren say

And puts the world in fear.

Proud ty­rants shall no more op­press

No more des­pise the just;

And migh­ty sin­ners shall con­fess

They are but earth and dust.