124Psalm 124LM
HAD not the Lord, my heart may cry,
   Had not the Lord been on my side;
Had He not brought deliverance nigh,
    Then must my helpless soul have died.
 
2  Had not the Lord been on my side,
    I to this day enslaved would be,
Swallowed by sin’s relentless tide,
    Destined to hell’s captivity.
 
3  Had not my Saviour loved so well,
    My just deserts would o’er me roll;
Soon floods of wrath and depths of hell,
    Would overwhelm my anguished soul.
 
4  As from the snare with broken hasp,
    The bird escapes on eager wings,
The soul set free from Satan’s grasp
    Bursts forth to freedom, mounts and sings.
 
5  I’ll sing the Lord my Saviour’s praise,
    Maker of all below, above;
Here and in Heaven my voice I’ll raise,
    To speak His saving power and love.
 
John Ryland, 1753-1825‡