YE angels, and ye human sons of care!
Ye heav'ns and earth, and all that in them are,
Praise ye the Lord - praise him with all your might -
Praise him (who rescu'd me) both day and night!
In trouble and distress, in need extreme,
I pray'd to him, who did my soul redeem,
And he, amidst th' angelic hosts on high,
Heard my petition and my piteous cry.
The wily serpent laid his dang'rous snares
And fatal gins, to catch me unawares:
But God his snares and gins in pieces tore,
And my sav'd soul from sure destruction bore.
He sent, his holy angel to unbind
My limbs - his Spirit, to compose my mind,
His spreading wings he kindly o'er me threw,
And out of all my pressing troubles drew.
The Father, heard the piteous plaints I made,
The Son, for me, as intercessor pray'd,
The Holy Spirit, sooth'd me in my grief,
And in adversity brought me relief.
Let ev'ry creature praise the Eternal Mind,
According to its nature and its kind,
For the great favour He has shewn to me,
In setting me from all my troubles free!
The bulls of Basan compass'd me around,
The fi'ry serpents strove my soul to wound,
Fierce wolves and unicorns, with savage joy,
My precious soul endeavour'd to destroy.
Both men and women, of a bloody mind,
A secret ambush for my soul design'd,
And, tho' the same religion they profess,
Yet they rejoic'd to see me in distress:
But God reveal'd each evil they design'd,
God brought to nought the malice of each mind,
God all their machinations did undo,
And God reliev'd my soul from all its woe.
Let ev'ry creature then with one accord
And notes united, laud the living Lord,
Who sav'd my soul from all its sev'ral woes,
And pour'd confusion upon all my foes.
All praise and might, and majesty, and pow'r,
All honour and thanksgiving, ev'ry hour,
By night and day, unto the Godhead be,
Who from my countless troubles set me free.