O ye muses, assist me to sing,
Of the things which by faith I have seen;
Of the love of my Saviour and King,
While wandering on earth I have been.
That Him I so little have loved,
For this I have reason to mourn;
And for talents and time mis-improved,
In the days of my youth that are gone.
For neglect of the records divine,
Which so often did sound in mine ear;
My affections they did not incline,
I neglected like others to hear.
Like sheep did we all go astray,
And left the fair pastures serene;
Did wander from him far away,
Where terror and darkness were seen.
There in ambush our enemies lay,
As we roam’d o’er those desolate plains;
We became their unfortunate prey,
And were bound in affliction and chains.
We long in that sad plight did lie,
Nor had courage nor strength to look up;
Yet we oft cast a languishing eye,
To the hills from whence cometh our hope.
And there came one from Edom afar,
To whom the sad signal we gave;
He looked like a champion of war,
He was bloody—yet mighty to save!
And as swift to our rescue He came,
We related to Him all our grief,
He said that heaven heard us complain,
And ’twas He that had brought us relief.
“Who art thou?” then we fearfully said,
“Why so red in thy glorious array?
Like one who is sorely dismayed,
Through the burden and heat of the day?”
“I have come from the Father of lights,
That you in His glory may shine;
Whose throne is on high o’er all heights,
And the work of redemption is mine.