- My soul to God shall give good heed,
- and him alone attend:
- For why my health and hope to speed,
- doth whole on him depend.
- 2 For he alone is my defense,
- my rock, my health and aid:
- He is my stay, that no pretence,
- shall make me much dismayed.
- 3 O wicked folk how long will ye
- use craft? sure you must fall,
- For as a rotten hedge ye be,
- and like a tottering wall.
- 4 Whom God doth love, ye seek always
- to put him to the worse,
- Ye love to lie, with mouth ye praise,
- and yet your hearth doth curse.
- 5 Yet still my soul doth whole depend,
- on God my chief desire:
- From all ill feats me to defend,
- none but him I require.
- 6 He is my rock, my strength and tower,
- my health is of high grace:
- He doth support me, that no power
- can move me out of place.
- 7 God is my glory and my health,
- my soul’s desire and lust:
- My fort, my strength, my stay, my wealth,
- God is mine only trust.
- 8 Oh have your hope in him alway,
- ye folk with one accord:
- Pour out your hearts to him and say,
- our trust is in the Lord.
- 9 The sons of men deceitful are,
- on balance but a slight;
- With things most vile do them compare,
- for they can keep no weight.
- 10 Trust not in wrong robbery or stealth,
- let vain delights be gone:
- Though goods well got flow in with wealth,
- set not your hearts thereon.
- 11 The Lord long saith one thing did tell,
- which here to mind I call:
- He spake it oft I heard it well:
- that God alone doth all.
- 12 And that thou Lord art good and kind,
- thy mercy doth exceed:
- So that all sorts with thee shall find,
- according to their meed.
