Look Down, O Lord, From Heaven Behold

1. Look down, O Lord, from heav'n be- hold, And let thy pit- y wa- ken! How few the flock with- in thy fold, Ne- glec- ted and for- sa- ken! Al- most thou'lt seek for faith in vain, And those who should thy truth main- tain Thy Word from us have ta- ken.

2. With frauds which they them- selves in- vent Thy truth they have con- foun- ded; Their hearts are not with one con- sent On thy pure doc- trine ground- ed; And, whilst they gleam with out- ward show, They lead thy peo- ple to and fro, In err- or's maze a- stound- ed.

3. God sure- ly will up- root all those With vain de- ceits who store us, With haugh- ty tongue who God o- ppose, And say, "Who'll stand be- fore us? By right or might we will pre- vail; What we de- ter- mine can- not fail, For who can lord it o'er us?"

4. For this, saith God, I will a- rise, These wolves my flock are ren- ding; I've heard my peo- ple's bit- ter sighs To heav'n my throne as- cend- ing: Now will I up, and set at rest Each wear- y soul by fraud op- prest, The poor with might de- fend- ing.

5. The sil- ver sev'n times tried is pure From all a- dult- er- a- tion; So, through God's word, shall men en- dure Each tri- al and temp- ta- tion: Its worth gleams bright- er through the cross, And, pur- i- fied from hu- man dross, It shines through e- very na- tion.