Fools in their heart believe and say,
“That all religion’s vain;
There is no God that reigns on high,
Or minds th’affairs of men.”

From thoughts so dreadful and profane,
Corrupt discourse proceeds;
And in their impious hands are found
Abominable deeds.

The Lord from His celestial throne
Looked down on things below,
To find the man that sought His grace,
Or did His justice know.

By nature all are gone astray,
Their practice all the same;
There’s none that fears his Maker’s hand;
There’s none that loves His Name.

Their tongues are used to speak deceit,
Their slanders never cease;
How swift to mischief are their feet,
Nor know the paths of peace!

Such seeds of sin—that bitter root—
In every heart are found;
Nor can they bear diviner fruit
Till grace refine the ground.

The God Who sits enthroned on high
The foolish to their heart deny;
Not one does good; corrupt in thought,
Unrighteous works their hands have wrought.

From heaven the Lord with searching eye
Looked down the sons of men to try,
To see if any understood
And sought for God, the only Good.

From righteousness they all depart,
Corrupt are all, and vile in heart;
Yea, every man has evil done;
Not one does good, not even one.

Has knowledge with the wicked failed,
That they My people have assailed,
That they delight in works of shame,
And call not on Jehovah’s Name?

Thy lowly servant they despise,
Because he on the Lord relies;
But they shall tremble yet in fear,
For to the righteous God is near.

O that from Zion, His abode,
Salvation were on us bestowed!
When God His exiles shall restore,
They shall in song His grace adore.

Lord of all worlds, let thanks and praise
To Thee forever fill my soul;
With blessings Thou hast crowned my days,
My heart, my head, my hand control.
O, let no vain presumptions rise,
No impious murmur in my heart,
To crave the boon Thy will denies,
Or shrink from ill Thy hands impart.

Thy child am I, and not an hour,
Revolving in the orbs above,
But brings some token of Thy power,
But brings some token of Thy love;
And shall this bosom dare repine,
In darkness dare deny the dawn,
Or spurn the treasures of the mine,
Because one diamond is withdrawn?

The fool denies, the fool alone,
Thy being, Lord, and boundless might;
Denies the firmament, Thy throne,
Denies the sun’s meridian light;
Denies the fashion of his frame,
The voice he hears, the breath he draws;
O idiot atheist! to proclaim
Effects unnumbered without cause!

Matter and mind, mysterious one,
Are man’s for threescore years and ten;
Where, ere the thread of life was spun?
Where, when reduced to dust again?
All seeing God, the doubt suppress;
The doubt Thou only canst relieve;
My soul Thy Savior Son shall bless,
Fly to Thy Gospel, and believe.

The mouth of fools doth God confess,
But while their lips draw nigh Him,
Their heart is full of wickedness,
And all their deeds deny Him.
Corrupt are they, and every one
Abominable works hath done;
There is not one well-doer.

The Lord looked from His heavenly throne
On all mankind below Him
To see if there were any one
Who truly sought to know Him,
And all his understanding bent
To search His holy Word, intent
To do His will in earnest.

But none there was who walked with God,
For all aside had slidden,
Delusive paths of folly trod,
And followed lusts forbidden;
Not one there was who practiced good,
Though many deemed, in haughty mood,
Their deeds to God were pleasing.

“How long, by folly blindly led,
Will they oppress the needy
And My own flock devour like bread?”
So fierce are they and greedy!
In God they put no trust at all,
Nor on His Name in trouble call,
But be their own providers.

Therefore their heart is never still,
A constant fear dismays them,
God is with him who doth His will,
Who trusts Him and obeys Him;
Ye shame the counsel of the poor
And mock him when he doth assure
That God is e’er his Refuge.

Who shall to Israel’s outcast race
From Zion bring salvation?
God will Himself at length show grace
And loose the captive nation;
That will He do by Christ, their King;
Let Jacob then be glad and sing
And Israel be joyful.