Tune: St Bees
(\'Hark, my soul, it is the Lord\')
1 Peter 3 v.15-17
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Sanctify, do set apart
the Lord God here in your heart
Be ready always to give
Answer of the way you live
An answer to every one
Who asks you of Christ the Son
What the reason of the hope
In you, how through life you cope
Reply with meekness and fear
Godly awe, not terror here
And having a good conscience
You the Lord\'s presence do sense
That where they do speak evil
Of you, and false witness tell
As if evildoers you
Were, so they do accuse you
Seeking to distractions make
That you slippery paths take
They do sleight your good conduct
In Christ, truth they do deduct* (*ignore, disbelieve)
For it better if the will
Of God be so that you ill-
Suffer for well-doing than
For evil doing to man* (*mankind)