The Psalms of David
by
Isaac Watts
Part 1 out of 7
38 Charing Cross, London.
The Index and the Table of First Lines have been omitted for
the following reasons:
1. They refer to page numbers that are here expunged; and
2. In this electronic version key words, etc., can be easily
located via searches.
Separate numbers have been added to Psalms that have more than
one part or version, for example: Psalm 51:1; Psalm 51:2; etc.
The Life of Isaac Watts, D.D.
by
Dr. Johnson.
From his lives of the most eminent English Poets.
The Poems of Dr. Watts were by my recommendation inserted in the
late Collection; the readers of which are to impute to me whatever
pleasure or weariness they may find in the perusal of Blackmore,
Watts, Pomfret, and Yealden.
ISAAC WATTS was born July 17, 1674, at Southampton, where his
father of the same name, kept a boarding-school for young gentlemen,
though common report makes him a shoe-maker. He appears, from the
narrative of Dr. Gibbons, to have been neither indigent nor
illiterate.
Isaac, the eldest of nine children, was given to books from his
infancy; and began, we are told, to learn Latin when he was four
years old, I suppose at home. He was afterwards taught Latin,
Greek, and Hebrew, by Mr. Pinhorne, a clergyman, master of the
freeschool at Southampton, to whom the gratitude of his scholar
afterwards inscribed a Latin ode.
His proficiency at school was so conspicuous, that a subscription
was proposed for his support at the University; but he declared
his resolution to take his lot with the Dissenters. Such he was,
as every Christian Church would rejoice to have adopted.
He therefore repaired in 1690 to an academy taught by Mr. Rowe,
where he had for his companions and fellow-students Mr. Hughes
the poet, and Dr. Horte, afterwards Archbishop of Tuam. Some Latin
essays, supposed to have been written as exercises at this academy,
shew a degree of knowledge, both philosophical and theological,
such as very few attain by a much longer course of study.
He was, as he hints in his Miscellanies, a maker of verses from
fifteen to fifty, and in his youth he appears to have paid attention
to Latin poetry. His verses to his brother, in the _glyconic_
measure, written when he was seventeen, are remarkably easy and
elegant. Some of his other odes are deformed by the Pindaric folly
then prevailing, and are written with such neglect of all metrical
rules as is without example among the ancients; but his diction,
though perhaps not always exactly pure, has such copiousness and
splendour, as shews that he was but at a very little distance
from excellence.
His method of study was to impress the contents of his books upon
his memory by abridging them, and by interleaving them, to amplify
one system with supplements from another.
With the congregation of his tutor Mr. Rowe, who were, I believe,
independents, he communicated in his nineteenth year.
At the age of twenty he left the academy, and spent two years in
study and devotion at the house of his father, who treated him
with great tenderness; and had the happiness, indulged to few
parents, of living to see his son eminent for literature and
venerable for piety.
He was then entertained by Sir John Hartopp five years, as domestic
tutor to his son: and in that time particularly devoted himself
to the Study of the Holy Scriptures; and being chosen assistant
to Dr. Chauncey, preached the first time on the birth-day that
completed his twenty-fourth year; probably considering that as
the day of a second nativity, by which he entered on a new period
of existence.
In about three years he succeeded Dr. Chauncey; but soon after his
entrance on his charge, he was seized by a dangerous illness, which
sunk him to such weakness, that the congregation thought an assistant
necessary, and appointed Mr. Price. His health then returned
gradually, and he performed his duty, till (1712) he was seized
by a fever of such violence and continuance, that from the feebleness
which it brought upon him, he never perfectly recovered.
This calamitous state made the compassion of his friends necessary,
and drew upon him the attention of Sir Thomas Abney, who received
him into his house; where with a constancy of friendship and
uniformity of conduct not often to be found, he was treated for
thirty-six years with all the kindness that friendship could
prompt, and all the attention that respect could dictate. Sir
Thomas died about eight years afterwards; but he continued with
the lady and her daughters to the end of his life. The lady died
about a year after him.
A coalition like this, a state in which the notions of patronage
And dependence were overpowered by the perception of reciprocal
benefits, deserves a particular memorial; and I will not withhold
from the reader Dr. Gibbons's representation, to which regard is
to be paid as to the narrative of one who writes what he knows,
and what is known likewise to multitudes besides.
"Our next observation shall be made upon that remarkably kind
providence which brought the doctor into Sir Thomas Abney's family,
and continued him there till his death, a period of no less than
thirty-six years. In the midst of his sacred labours for the glory
of God, and good of his generation he is seized with a most violent
and threatening fever, which leaves him oppressed with great
weakness, and puts a stop at least to his public services for four
years. In this distressing season, doubly so to his active and
pious spirit, he is invited to Sir Thomas Abney's family, nor ever
removes from it till he had finished his days. Here he enjoyed the
uninterrupted demonstrations of the truest friendship. Here, without
any care of his own, he had everything which could contribute to
the enjoyment of life, and favour the unwearied pursuits of his
studies. Here he dwelt in a family, which, for piety, order,
harmony, and every virtue, was an house of God. Here he had the
privilege of a country recess, the fragrant bower, the spreading
lawn, the flowery garden, and other advantages to sooth his mind
and aid his restoration to health; to yield him, whenever he chose
them, most grateful intervals from his laborious studies, and
enable him to return to them with redoubled vigour and delight.
Had it not been for this most happy event, he might as to outward
view, have feebly, it may be painfully, dragged on through many
more years of languor and inability for public service, and even
for profitable study, or perhaps might have sunk into his grave
under the overwhelming load of infirmities, in the midst of his
days; and thus the church and world would have been deprived of
those many excellent sermons and works which he drew up and
published during his long residence in this family. In a few years
after his coming hither, Sir Thomas Abney dies; but his amiable
consort survives, who shows the Doctor the same respect and
friendship as before, and most happily for him and great numbers
besides; for, as her riches were great her generosity and munificence
were in full proportion; her thread of life was drawn out to a
great age, even beyond that of the Doctor's; and thus this excellent
man, through her kindness, and that of her daughter, the present
Mrs. Elizabeth Abney, who in a like degree esteemed and honoured
him, enjoyed all the benefits and felicities he experienced at
his first entrance into this family, till his days were numbered
and finished, and, like a shock of corn in its season, he ascended
into the regions of perfect and immortal life and joy."
If this quotation has appeared long, let it be considered, that
it comprises an account of six-and-thirty years, and those the
years of Dr. Watts.
From the time of his reception into this family, his life was no
Otherwise diversified than by successive publications. The series
of his works I am not able to deduce; their number, and their
variety, show the intenseness of his industry, and the extent of
his capacity.
He was one of the first authors that taught the Dissenters to
court attention by the graces of language. Whatever they had among
them before, whether of learning or acuteness, was commonly obscured
and blunted by coarseness and inelegance of style. He shewed them,
that zeal and purity might be expressed and enforced by polished
diction.
He continued to the end of his life the teacher of a congregation,
and no reader of his works can doubt his fidelity or diligence. In
the pulpit, though his low stature, which very little exceeded five
feet, graced him with no advantages of appearance, yet the gravity
and propriety of his utterance made his discourses very efficacious.
I once mentioned the reputation which Mr. Foster had gained by his
proper delivery to my friend Dr. Hawkesworth, who told me, that
in the art of pronunciation he was far inferior to Dr. Watts.
Such was his flow of thoughts, and such his promptitude of language,
that in the latter part of his life he did not precompose his
cursory sermons; but having adjusted the heads, and sketched
out some particulars, trusted for success to his extemporary powers.
He did not endeavour to assist his eloquence by any gesticulations;
for, as no corporeal actions have any correspondence with theological
truth, he did not see how they could enforce it.
At the conclusion of weighty sentences he gave time, by a short
pause, for the proper impression.
To stated and public instruction, he added familiar visits and
Personal application, and was careful to improve the opportunities
which conversation offered of diffusing and increasing the influence
of religion.
By his natural temper he was quick of resentment; but by his
established and habitual practice, he was gentle, modest, and
inoffensive. His tenderness appeared in his attention to children,
and to the poor. To the poor, while he lived in the family of his
friend, he allowed the third part of his annual revenue, though
the whole was not a hundred a year; and for children, he condescended
to lay aside the scholar, the philosopher, and the wit, to write
little poems of devotion, and systems of instruction adapted to
their wants and capacities, from the dawn of reason through its
gradations of advance in the morning of life. Every man, acquainted
with the common principles of human action, will look with veneration
on the writer who is at one time combating Locke, and at another
making a catechism for children in their fourth year. A voluntary
descent from the dignity of science is perhaps the hardest lesson
that humility can teach.
As his mind was capacious, his curiosity excursive, and his industry
continual, his writings are very numerous, and his subjects various.
With his theological works I am only enough acquainted to admire
his meekness of opposition, and his mildness of censure. It was
not only in his book but in his mind that _orthodoxy_ was _united_
with _charity_.
Of his philosophical pieces, his Logic has been received into the
universities, and therefore wants no private recommendation: if
he owes part of it to Le Clerc, it must he considered that no man
who undertakes merely to methodize or illustrate a system, pretends
to be its author.
In his metaphysical disquisitions, it was observed by the late
learned Dr. Dyer, that he confounded the idea of _space_ with that
of _empty space_, and did not consider that though space might be
without matter, yet matter being extended, could not be without
space.
Few books have been perused by me with greater pleasure than his
_Improvement of the Mind_, of which the radical principles may
indeed be found in _Locke's Conduct of the Understanding_, but
they are so expanded and ramified by Watts, as to confer upon him
the merit of a work in the highest degree useful and pleasing.
Whoever has the care of instructing others, may be charged with
deficience in his duty if this book is not recommended.
I have mentioned his treatises of Theology as distinct from his
other productions: but the truth is, that whatever he took in
hand was, by his incessant solicitude for souls, converted to
Theology. As piety predominated in his mind, it is diffused over
his works: under his direction it may be truly said, _Theologiae
Philosophia ancillatur_, philosophy is subservient to evangelical
instruction; it is difficult to read a page without learning, or
at least wishing to be better. The attention is caught by indirect
instruction, and he that sat down only to reason, is on a sudden
compelled to pray.
It was therefore with great propriety that, in 1728, he received
From Edinburgh and Aberdeen an unsolicited diploma, by which he
became a Doctor of Divinity. Academical honours would have more
value, if they were always bestowed with equal judgement.
He continued many years to study and to preach, and to do good by
His instruction and example: till at last the infirmities of age
disabled him from the more laborious part of his ministerial
functions, and being no longer capable of public duty, he offered
to remit the salary appendant to it; but his congregation would
not accept the resignation.
By degrees his weakness increased, and at last confined him to
his chamber and his bed; where he was worn gradually away without
pain, till he expired, Nov. 25, 1748, in the seventy-fifth year
of his age.
Few men have left behind such purity of character, or such monuments
of laborious piety. He has provided instruction for all ages, from
those who are lisping their first lessons, to the enlightened readers
of Malbranche and Locke; he has left neither corporeal nor spiritual
nature unexamined; he has taught the art of reasoning, and the
science of the stars.
His character, therefore, must be formed from the multiplicity
and diversity of his attainments, rather than from any single
performance; for it would not be safe to claim for him the highest
rank in any single denomination of literary dignity; yet perhaps
there was nothing in which he would not have excelled, if he had
not divided his powers to different pursuits.
As a poet, had he been only a poet, he would probably have stood
high among the authors with whom he is now associated. For his
judgement was exact, and he noted beauties and faults with very
nice discernment; his imagination, as the _Dacian Battle_ proves,
was vigorous and active, and the stores of knowledge were large
by which his fancy was to be supplied. His ear was well-tuned, and
his diction was elegant and copious. But his devotional poetry is,
like that of others, unsatisfactory. The paucity of its topics
enforces perpetual repetition, and the sanctity of the matter
rejects the ornaments of figurative diction. It is sufficient
for Watts to have done better than others what no man has done
well.
His poems on other subjects seldom rise higher than might be
expected from the amusements of a Man of Letters, and have different
degrees of value as they are more or less laboured, or as the
occasion was more or less favourable to invention.
He writes too often without regular measures, and too often in
blank verse; the rhymes are not always sufficiently correspondent.
He is particularly unhappy in coining names expressive of characters.
His lines are commonly smooth and easy, and his thoughts always
religiously pure; but who is there that, to so much piety and
innocence, does not wish for a greater measure of sprightliness
and vigour? He is at least one of the few poets with whom youth
and ignorance may be safely pleased; and happy will be that reader
whose mind is disposed by his verses, or his prose, to imitate him
in all but his non-conformity, to copy his benevolence to man, and
his reverence to God.
PREFACE.
THE following extract from the Doctor's Preface, as it contains
the plan of his version of the Psalms, may be found useful:
"I come therefore to explain my own design, which is this, To
accommodate the book of Psalms to Christian worship. And in order
to do this, it is necessary to divest David and Asaph, &c. of every
other character but that of a psalmist and a saint, and to make
them always speak the common sense, and language of a Christian.
"Attempting the work with this view, I have entirely omitted several
whole psalms, and large pieces of many others; and have chosen out
of all of them, such parts only as might easily and naturally be
accommodated to the various occasions of the Christian life, or
at least might afford us some beautiful allusion to Christian
affairs. These I have copied and explained in the general style
of the gospel; nor have I confined my expressions to any particular
party or opinion; that in words prepared for public worship, and
for the lips of multitudes, there might not be a syllable offensive
to sincere Christians, whose judgments may differ in the lesser
matters of religion.
"Where the Psalmist uses sharp invectives against his personal
enemies, I have endeavoured to turn the edge of them against our
spiritual adversaries, sin, Satan, and temptation. Where the
flights of his faith and love are sublime, I have often sunk the
expressions within the reach of an ordinary Christian: where the
words imply some peculiar wants or distresses, joys, or blessings,
I have used words of greater latitude and comprehension, suited
to the general circumstances of men.
"Where the original runs in the form of prophecy concerning Christ
and his salvation, I have given an historical turn to the sense:
there is no necessity that we should always sing in the obscure
and doubtful style of prediction, when the things foretold are
brought into open light by a full accomplishment. Where the writers
of the New Testament have cited or alluded to any part the Psalms,
I have often indulged the liberty of paraphrase, according to the
words of Christ, or his Apostles. And surely this may be esteemed
the word of God still, though borrowed from several parts of the
Holy Scripture. Where the Psalmist describes religion by the fear
of God, I have often joined faith and love to it. Where he
speaks of the pardon of sin, through the mercies of God, I have
added the merits of a Saviour. Where he talks of sacrificing goats
or bullocks, I rather chuse to mention the sacrifice of Christ,
the Lamb of God. When he attends the ark with shouting into Zion,
I sing the ascension of my Saviour into heaven, or his presence
in his church on earth. Where he promises abundance of wealth,
honour, and long life, I have changed some of these typical
blessings for grace, glory, and life eternal, which are brought
to light by the gospel, and promised in the New Testament. And I
am fully satisfied, that more honor is done to our blessed Saviour,
by speaking his name, his graces, and actions, in his own language,
according to the brighter discoveries he hath now made, than by
going back again to the Jewish forms of worship, and the language
of types and figures."
Of chusing or finding the Psalm.
By consulting the Index at the end, any one may find hymns very
proper for many occasions of the Christian life and worship; though
no copy of David's Psalter can provide for all, as I have shewn in
the Preface to the large edition.
Or, if he remembers the first line of any Psalm, the Table of the
first lines will direct where to find it.
[NOTE: the Index and the Table of First Lines are omitted from
Of singing in course.
If any shall think it best to sing the Psalms in order in churches
or families, it may be done with profit, provided those Psalms be
omitted that refer to special occurrences of nations, churches,
or single Christians.
Of dividing the Psalms.
If the Psalm be too long for the time or custom of singing, there
are pauses in many of them at which you may properly rest; or you
may leave out those verses which are inclued with crotchets [ ],
without disturbing the sense: or, in some places you may begin to
sing at the pause.
THE Psalms of David,
In Metre.
Psalm 1:1. Common Metre,
The way and end of the righteous and the wicked.
1 Blest is the man who shuns the place
Where sinners love to meet;
Who fears to tread their wicked ways,
And hates the scoffer's seat:
2 But in the statutes of the Lord
Has plac'd his chief delight;
By day he reads or hears the word,
And meditates by night.
3 [He like a plant of generous kind,
By living waters set,
Safe from the storms and blasting wind,
Enjoys a peaceful state.]
4 Green as the leaf and ever fair
Shall his profession shine,
While fruits of holiness appear
Like clusters on the vine.
5 Not so the impious and unjust;
What vain designs they form!
Their hopes are blown away like dust,
Or chaff before the storm.
6 Sinners in judgment shall not stand
Amongst the sons of grace,
When Christ the Judge, at his right hand,
Appoints his saints a place.
7 His eye beholds the path they tread,
His heart approves it well;
But crooked ways of sinners lead
Down to the gates of hell.
Psalm 1:2. S. M.
The saint happy, the sinner miserable.
1 The man is ever blest
Who shuns the sinner's ways,
Among their counsels never stands,
Nor takes the scorner's place;
2 But makes the Law of God
His study and delight,
Amidst the labours of the day,
And watches of the night.
3 He like a tree shall thrive,
With waters near the root:
Fresh as the leaf his name shall live,
His works are heavenly fruit.
4 Not so th' ungodly race,
They no such blessings find;
Their hopes shall flee like empty chaff
Before the driving wind.
5 How will they bear to stand
Before that judgment-seat,
Where all the saints at Christ's right hand
In full assembly meet?
6 He knows, and he approves
The way the righteous go;
But sinners and their works shall meet
A dreadful overthrow.
Psalm 1:3. L. M.
The difference between the righteous and the wicked.
1 Happy the man whose cautious feet
Shun the broad way that sinners go,
Who hates the place where atheists meet,
And fears to talk as scoffers do.
2 He loves t' employ his morning light
Amongst the statutes of the Lord:
And spends the wakeful hours at night,
With pleasure pondering o'er the word.
3 He like a plant by gentle streams,
Shall flourish in immortal green;
And heaven will shine with kindest beams
On every work his hands begin.
4 But sinners find their counsels crost;
As chaff before the tempest flies,
So shall their hopes be blown and lost,
When the last trumpet shakes the skies.
5 In vain the rebel seeks to stand
In judgment with the pious race;
The dreadful Judge with stern command
Divides him to a different place.
6 "Straight is the way my saints have trod,
"I blest the path and drew it plain;
"But you would choose the crooked road,
"And down it leads to endless pain.
Psalm 2:1. S. M.
Translated according to the divine pattern,
Acts iv. 24 &c.
Christ dying, rising, interceding, and reigning.
1 [Maker and sovereign Lord
Of heaven, and earth, and seas,
Thy providence confirms thy word,
And answers thy decrees.
2 The things so long foretold
By David are fulfill'd,
When Jews and Gentiles join to slay
Jesus, thine holy child.]
3 Why did the Gentiles rage,
And Jews with one accord
Bend all their counsels to destroy
Th' anointed of the Lord?
4 Rulers and kings agree
To form a vain design;
Against the Lord their powers unite,
Against his Christ they join.
5 The Lord derides their rage,
And will support his throne;
He that hath rais'd him from the dead
Hath own'd him for his Son.
PAUSE.
6 Now he's ascended high,
And asks to rule the earth;
The merit of his blood be pleads,
And pleads his heavenly birth.
7 He asks, and God bestows
A large inheritance;
Far as the world's remotest ends
His kingdom shall advance.
8 The nations that rebel
Must feel his iron rod;
He'll vindicate those honours well
Which he receiv'd from God.
9 [Be wise, ye rulers, now,
And worship at his throne;
With trembling joy, ye people, bow
To God's exalted Son.
10 If once his wrath arise,
Ye perish on the place;
Then blessed is the soul that flies
For refuge to his grace.]
Psalm 2:2. C. M.
The same.
1 Why did the nations join to slay
The Lord's anointed Son?
Why did they cast his laws away,
And tread his gospel down?
2 The Lord that sits above the skies,
Derides their rage below,
He speaks with vengeance in his eyes,
And strikes their spirits thro'.
3 "I call him my Eternal Son,
"And raise him from the dead;
"I make my holy hill his throne,
"And wide his kingdom spread.
4 "Ask me, my Son, and then enjoy
"The utmost heathen lands:
"Thy rod of iron shall destroy
"The rebel that withstands."
5 Be wise, ye rulers of the earth,
Obey th' anointed Lord,
Adore the king of heavenly birth,
And tremble at his word.
6 With humble love address his throne,
For if he frown ye die;
Those are secure, and those alone,
Who on his grace rely.
Psalm 2:3. L. M.
Christ's death, resurrection, and ascension.
1 Why did the Jews proclaim their rage?
The Romans why their swords employ?
Against the Lord their powers engage
His dear anointed to destroy?
2 "Come, let us break his bands," they say,
"This man shall never give us laws ;"
And thus they cast his yoke away,
And nail'd the monarch to the cross.
3 But God, who high in glory reigns,
Laughs at their pride, their rage controls;
He'll vex their hearts with inward pains,
And speak in thunder to their souls.
4 "I will maintain the King I made
"On Zion's everlasting hill,
"My hand shall bring him from the dead,
"And he shall stand your sovereign still."
5 [His wondrous rising from the earth
Makes his eternal Godhead known!
The Lord declares his heavenly birth,
"This day have I begot my Son.
6 "Ascend, my Son, to my right hand,
"There thou shalt ask, and I bestow
"The utmost bounds of heathen lands;
"To thee the northern isles shall bow."]
7 But nations that resist his grace
Shall fall beneath his iron stroke;
His rod shall crush his foes with ease
As potters' earthen work is broke.
PAUSE.
8 Now, ye that sit on earthly thrones,
Be wise, and serve the Lord, the Lamb;
at his feet submit your crowns,
Rejoice and tremble at his name.
9 With humble love address the Son,
Lest he grow angry and ye die;
His wrath will burn to worlds unknown
If ye provoke his jealousy.
10 His storms shall drive you quick to hell:
He is a God, and ye but dust:
Happy the souls that know him well,
And make his grace their only trust.
Psalm 3:1. C. M.
Doubts and fears supprest; or, God
our defence from sin and Satan.
1 My God, how many are my fears!
How fast my foes increase!
Conspiring my eternal death,
They break my present peace.
2 The lying tempter would persuade
There's no relief in heaven;
And all my swelling sins appear
Too big to be forgiven.
3 But thou, my glory and my strength,
Shalt on the tempter tread,
Shalt silence all my threatening guilt,
And raise my drooping head.
4 [I cry'd, and from his holy hill
He bow'd a listening ear,
I call'd my Father, and my God,
And he subdu'd my fear.
5 He shed soft slumbers on mine eyes,
In spite of all my foes;
I woke, and wonder'd at the grace
That guarded my repose.]
6 What though the hosts of death and hell
All arm'd against me stood,
Terrors no more shall shake my soul,
My refuge is my God.
7 Arise, O Lord, fulfil thy grace,
While I thy glory sing:
My God has broke the serpent's teeth,
And death has lost his sting.
8 Salvation to the Lord belongs,
His arm alone can save;
Blessings attend thy people here,
And reach beyond the grave.
Psalm 3:2. 1 2 3 4 5 8. L. M.
A morning Psalm.
1 O Lord, how many are my foes,
In this weak state of flesh and blood!
My peace they daily discompose,
But my defence and hope is God.
2 Tir'd with the burdens of the day,
To thee I rais'd an evening cry;
Thou heardst when I began to pray,
And thine almighty help was nigh.
3 Supported by thine heavenly aid,
I laid me down and slept secure;
Not death should make my heart afraid,
Tho' I should wake and rise no more.
4 But God sustain'd me all the night;
Salvation doth to God belong;
He rais'd my head to see the light,
And make his praise my morning song.
Psalm 4:1. 1 2 3 5 6 7. L. M.
Hearing prayer; or, God our
portion, and Christ our hope.
1 O God of grace and righteousness,
Hear and attend when I complain;
Thou hast enlarg'd me in distress,
Bow down a gracious ear again.
2 Ye sons of men, in vain ye try
To turn my glory into shame;
How long will scoffers love to lie,
And dare reproach my Saviour's name!
3 Know that the Lord divides his saints
From all the tribes of men beside;
He hears the cry of penitents
For the dear sake of Christ that dy'd.
4 When our obedient hands have done
A thousand works of righteousness,
We put our trust in God alone,
And glory in his pardoning grace.
5 Let the unthinking many say,
"Who will bestow some earthly good?"
But, Lord, thy light and love we pray,
Our souls desire this heavenly food.
6 Then shall my cheerful powers rejoice
At grace and favour so divine;
Nor will I change my happy choice
For all their corn and all their wine.
Psalm 4:2. 3 4 5 8. C. M.
An evening Psalm.
1 Lord, thou wilt hear me when I pray
I am for ever thine:
I fear before thee all the day,
Nor would I dare to sin.
2 And while I rest my weary head
From cares and business free,
'Tis sweet conversing on my bed
With my own heart and thee.
3 I pay this evening sacrifice;
And when my work is done,
Great God, my faith and hope relies
Upon thy grace alone.
4 Thus with my thoughts compos'd to peace
I'll give mine eyes to sleep;
Thy hand in safety keeps my days,
And will my slumbers keep.
Psalm 5.
For the Lord's day morning.
1 Lord, in the morning thou shalt hear
My voice ascending high;
To thee will I direct my prayer,
To thee lift up mine eye;
2 Up to the hills where Christ is gone
To plead for all his saints,
Presenting at his Father's throne
Our songs and our complaints.
3 Thou art a God before whose sight
The wicked shall not stand;
Sinners shall ne'er be thy delight,
Nor dwell at thy right hand.
4 But to thy house will I resort,
To taste thy mercies there;
I will frequent thine holy court,
And worship in thy fear.
5 O may thy Spirit guide my feet
In ways of righteousness!
Make every path of duty straight
And plain before my face.
PAUSE.
6 My watchful enemies combine
To tempt my feet astray;
They flatter with a base design
To make my soul their prey.
7 Lord, crush the serpent in the dust,
And all his plots destroy;
While those that in thy mercy trust
For ever shout for joy.
8 The men that love and fear thy name
Shall see their hopes fulfill'd;
The mighty God will compass them
With favour as a shield.
Psalm 6:1. C. M.
Complaint in sickness;
or, diseases healed.
1 In anger, Lord, rebuke me not,
Withdraw the dreadful storm;
Nor let thy fury grow so hot
Against a feeble worm.
2 My soul's bow'd down with heavy cares,
My flesh with pain oppress'd;
My couch is witness to my tears,
My tears forbid my rest.
3 Sorrow and pain wear out my days;
I waste the night with cries,
Counting the minutes as they pass,
Till the slow morning rise.
4 Shall I be still tormented more?
Mine eye consum'd with grief?
How long, my God, how long before
Thine hand afford relief?
5 He hears when dust and ashes speak,
He pities all our groans,
He saves us for his mercy's sake
And heals our broken bones.
6 The virtue of his sovereign word
Restores our fainting breath;
For silent graves praise not the Lord,
Nor is he known in death.
Psalm 6:2. L. M.
Temptations in sickness overcome.
1 Lord, I can suffer thy rebukes,
When thou with kindness dost chastise
But thy fierce wrath I cannot bear,
O let it not against me rise!
2 Pity my languishing estate,
And ease the sorrows that I feel;
The wounds thine heavy hand hath made,
O let thy gentler touches heal.
3 See how I pass my weary days
In sighs and groans; and when 'tis night
My bed is water'd with my tears;
My grief consumes and dims my sight.
4 Look how the powers of nature mourn!
How long, almighty God, how long?
When shall thine hour of grace return?
When shall I make thy grace my song?
5 I feel my flesh so near the grave,
My thoughts are tempted to despair;
But graves can never praise the Lord,
For all is dust and silence there.
6 Depart, ye tempters, from my soul,
And all despairing thoughts depart;
My God, who hears my humble moan,
Will ease my flesh, and cheer my heart.
Psalm 7.
God's care of his people and
punishment of persecutors.
1 My trust is in my heavenly Friend,
My hope in thee, my God;
Rise and my helpless life defend
From those that seek my blood.
2 With insolence and fury they
My soul in pieces tear,
As hungry lions rend the prey
When no deliverer's near.
3 If I had e'er provok'd them first,
Or once abus'd my foe,
Then let him tread my life to dust,
And lay mine honour low.
4 If there be malice found in me,
I know thy piercing eyes;
I should not dare appeal to thee,
Nor ask my God to rise.
5 Arise, my God, lift up thy hand,
Their pride and power control;
Awake to judgment and command
Deliverance for my soul.
PAUSE.
6 [Let sinners and their wicked rage
Be humbled to the dust;
Shall not the God of truth engage
To vindicate the just?
7 He knows the heart, he tries the reins,
He will defend th' upright:
His sharpest arrows he ordains
Against the sons of spite.
8 For me their malice digg'd a pit,
But there themselves are cast;
My God makes all their mischief light
On their own heads at last.]
9 That cruel persecuting race
Must feel his dreadful sword;
Awake, my soul, and praise the grace
And justice of the Lord.
Psalm 8:1. S. M.
God's sovereignty and goodness; and
man's dominion over the creatures.
1 O Lord, our heavenly King,
Thy name is all divine;
Thy glories round the earth are spread,
And o'er the heavens they shine.
2 When to thy works on high
I raise my wondering eyes,
And see the moon complete in light
Adorn the darksome skies:
3 When I survey the stars,
And all their shining forms,
Lord, what is man, that worthless thing,
Akin to dust and worms?
4 Lord, what is worthless man,
That thou shouldst love him so?
Next to thine angels he is plac'd,
And lord of all below.
5 Thine honours crown his head,
While beasts like slaves obey,
And birds that cut the air with wings,
And fish that cleave the sea.
6 How rich thy bounties are!
And wondrous are thy ways:
Of dust and worms thy power can frame
A monument of praise.
7 [Out of the mouths of babes
And sucklings thou canst draw
Surprising honours to thy name,
And strike the world with awe.]
8 O Lord, our heavenly King,
Thy name is all divine:
Thy glories round the earth are spread,
And o'er the heavens they shine.
Psalm 8:2. C. M.
Christ's condescension and
glorification; or, God made man.
1 O Lord, our Lord, how wondrous great
Is thine exalted name!
The glories of thy heavenly state
Let men and babes proclaim.
2 When I behold thy works on high,
The moon that rules the night,
And stars that well adorn the sky,
Those moving worlds of light;
3 Lord, what is man, or all his race,
Who dwells so far below,
That thou shouldst visit him with grace,
And love his nature so?
4 That thine eternal Son should bear
To take a mortal form,
Made lower than his angels are,
To save a dying worm!
5 [Yet while he liv'd on earth unknown,
And men would not adore,
Th' obedient seas and fishes own
His Godhead and his power.
6 The waves lay spread beneath his feet;
And fish, at his command,
Bring their large shoals to Peter's net,
Bring tribute to his hand.
7 These lesser glories of the Son
Shone thro' the fleshly cloud;
Now we behold him on his throne,
And men confess him God.]
8 Let him be crown'd with majesty,
Who bow'd his head to death;
And be his honours sounded high,
By all things that have breath.
9 Jesus, our Lord, how wondrous great
Is thine exalted name!
The glories of thy heavenly state
Let the whole earth proclaim.
Psalm 8:3. 1 2. paraphrased.
First Part. L. M.
The Hosanna of the children;
or, Infants praising God.
1 Almighty Ruler of the skies,
Thro' the wide earth thy name is spread,
And thine eternal glories rise
O'er all the heavens thy hands have made.
2 To thee the voices of the young
A monument of honour raise;
And babes, with uninstructed tongue,
Declare the wonders of thy praise.
3 Thy power assists their tender age
To bring proud rebels to the ground,
To still the bold blasphemer's rage,
And all their policies confound.
4 Children amidst thy temple throng
To see their great Redeemer's face;
The Son of David is their song,
And young hosannas fill the place.
3 The frowning scribes and angry priests
In vain their impious cavils bring;
Revenge sits silent in their breasts,
While Jewish babes proclaim their king.
Psalm 8:4. 3 &c. paraphrased.
Second Part. L. M.
Adam and Christ, lords of
the old and the new creation.
1 Lord, what was man, when made at first,
Adam the offspring of the dust,
That thou shouldst set him and his race
But just below an angel's place?
2 That thou shouldst raise his nature so
And make him lord of all below;
Make every beast and bird submit,
And lay the fishes at his feet?
3 But O, what brighter glories wait
To crown the second Adam's state!
What honours shall thy Son adorn
Who condescended to be born!
4 See him below his angels made,
See him in dust amongst the dead,
To save a ruin'd world from sin;
But he shall reign with power divine.
5 The world to come, redeem'd from all
The miseries that attend the fall,
New made, and glorious, shall submit
At our exalted Saviour's feet.
Psalm 9:1. First Part.
Wrath and mercy from the judgment-seat.
1 With my whole heart I'll raise my song,
Thy wonders I'll proclaim;
Thou sov'reign judge of right and wrong
Wilt put my foes to shame.
2 I'll sing thy majesty and grace;
My God prepares his throne
To judge the world in righteousness
And make his vengeance known.
3 Then shall the Lord a refuge prove
For all the poor opprest,
To save the people of his love,
And give the weary rest.
4 The men, that know thy name will trust
In thy abundant grace;
For thou hast ne'er forsook the just,
Who humbly seek thy face.
5 Sing praises to the righteous Lord,
Who dwells on Zion's hill,
Who executes his threatening word,
And doth his grace fulfil.
Psalm 9:2. 10. Second Part.
The wisdom and equity of providence.
1 When the great Judge, supreme and just,
Shall once inquire for blood,
The humble souls, that mourn in dust,
Shall find a faithful God.
2 He from the dreadful gates of death
Does his own children raise:
In Zion's gates, with cheerful breath,
They sing their Father's praise.
3 His foes shall fail with heedless feet
Into the pit they made;
And sinners perish in the net
That their own hands had spread.
4 Thus by thy judgments, mighty God!
Are thy deep counsels known;
When men of mischief are destroy'd,
The snare must be their own.
PAUSE.
5 The wicked shall sink down to hell;
Thy wrath devour the lands
That dare forget thee, or rebel
Against thy known commands.
6 Tho' saints to sore distress are brought,
And wait and long complain,
Their cries shall not be still forgot,
Nor shall their hopes be vain.
7 [Rise, great Redeemer, from thy seat,
To judge and save the poor;
Let nations tremble at thy feet,
And man prevail no more.
8 Thy thunder shall affright the proud,
And put their hearts to pain,
Make them confess that thou art God,
And they but feeble men.]
Psalm 10.
Prayer heard, and saints saved; or, Pride,
atheism, and oppression punished.
For a humiliation day.
1 Why doth the Lord stand off so far,
And why conceal his face,
When great calamities appear,
And times of deep distress?
2 Lord, shall the wicked still deride
Thy justice and thy pow'r?
Shall they advance their heads in pride,
And still thy saints devour?
3 They put thy judgments from their sight,
And then insult the poor;
They boast in their exalted height
That they shall fall no more.
4 Arise, O God, lift up thine hand,
Attend our humble cry;
No enemy shall dare to stand
When God ascends on high.
PAUSE.
5 Why do the men of malice rage,
And say with foolish pride,
"The God of heaven will ne'er engage
To fight on Zion's side?"
6 But thou for ever art our Lord;
And pow'rful is thine hand,
As when the heathens felt thy sword,
And perish'd from thy land.
7 Thou wilt prepare our hearts to pray,
And cause thine ear to hear;
He hearkens what his children say,
And puts the world in fear.
8 Proud tyrants shall no more oppress,
No more despise the just;
And mighty sinners shall confess
They are but earth and dust.
Psalm 11.
God loves the righteous and hates the wicked.
1 My refuge is the God of love;
Why do my foes insult and cry,
"Fly like a timorous trembling dove,
"To distant woods or mountains fly"?
2 If government be all destroy'd
(That firm foundation of our peace)
And violence make justice void,
Where shall the righteous seek redress?
3 The Lord in heaven has fix'd his throne,
His eye surveys the world below;
To him all mortal things are known,
His eyelids search our spirits thro'.
4 If he afflicts his saints so far
To prove their love, and try their grace,
What may the bold transgressors fear?
His very soul abhors their ways.
5 On impious wretches he shall rain
Tempests of brimstone, fire, and death,
Such as he kindled on the plain
Of Sodom with his angry breath.
6 The righteous Lord loves righteous souls,
Whose thoughts and actions are sincere;
And with a gracious eye beholds
The men that his own image bear.
Psalm 12:1. L. M.
The saint's safety and hope in evil times;
or, Sins of the tongue complained of,
viz, blasphemy, falsehood, &c.
1 Lord, if thou dost not soon appear,
Virtue and truth will fly away;
A faithful man, amongst us here,
Will scarce be found if thou delay.
2 The whole discourse, when neighbours meet,
Is fill'd with trifles loose and vain;
Their lips are flattery and deceit,
And their proud language is profane.
3 But lips, that with deceit abound,
Shall not maintain their triumph long;
The God of vengeance will confound
The flattering and blaspheming tongue.
4 "Yet shall our words be free," they cry,
"Our tongue shall be controll'd by none:
"Where is the Lord will ask us why?
"Or say, our lips are not our own?"
5 The Lord who sees the poor opprest,
And hears th' oppressor's haughty strain,
Will rise to give his children rest,
Nor shall they trust his word in vain.
6 Thy word, O Lord, tho' often try'd,
Void of deceit shall still appear
Not silver, seven times purify'd
From dross and mixture, shines so clear.
7 Thy grace shall in the darkest hour
Defend the holy soul from harm;
Tho' when the vilest men have power
On every side will sinners swarm.
Psalm 12:2. C. M.
Complaint of a general corruption of manners; or,
The promise and signs of Christ's coming to judgment.
1 Help, Lord, for men of virtue fail,
Religion loses ground,
The sons of violence prevail,
And treacheries abound.
2 Their oaths and promises they break,
Yet act the flatterer's part;
With fair deceitful lips they speak,
And with a double heart.
3 If we reprove some hateful lie,
How is their fury stirr'd!
"Are not our lips our own" they cry,
"And who shall be our lord?"
4 Scoffers appear on every side,
Where a vile race of men
Is rais'd to seats of power and pride,
And bears the sword in vain.
PAUSE.
5 Lord, when iniquities abound,
And blasphemy grows bold,
When faith is hardly to be found,
And love is waxing cold,
6 Is not thy chariot hastening on?
Hast thou not given this sign?
May we not trust and live upon
A promise so divine?
7 "Yes," saith the Lord, "now will I rise,
"And make oppressors flee;
"I shall appear to their surprise,
"And set my servants free."
8 Thy word, like silver seven times try'd,
Thro' ages shall endure;
The men that in thy truth confide,
Shall find thy promise sure.
Psalm 13:1. L. M.
Pleading with God under desertion;
or, Hope, in darkness.
1 How long, 0 Lord, shall I complain
Like one that seeks his God in vain?
Canst thou thy face for ever hide?
And I still pray and be deny'd?
2 Shall I for ever be forgot
As one whom thou regardest not?
Still shall my soul thine absence mourn?
And still despair of thy return?
3 How long shall my poor troubled breast
Be with these anxious thoughts opprest?
And Satan, my malicious foe,
Rejoice to see me sunk so low.
4 Hear, Lord, and grant me quick relief,
Before my death conclude my grief;
If thou withhold thy heavenly light,
I sleep in everlasting night.
5 How will the powers of darkness boast,
If but one praying soul be lost!
But I have trusted in thy grace,
And shall again behold thy face.
6 Whate'er my fears or foes suggest,
Thou art my hope, my joy, my rest;
My heart shall feel thy love, and raise
My cheerful voice to songs of praise.
Psalm 13:2. C. M.
Complaint under temptations of the devil.
1 How long wilt thou conceal thy face?
My God, how long delay?
When shall I feel those heavenly rays
That chase my fears away?
2 How long shall my poor labouring soul
Wrestle and toil in vain?
Thy word can all my foes control,
And ease my raging pain.
3 See how the prince of darkness tries
All his malicious arts,
He spreads a mist around my eyes,
And throws his fiery darts.
4 Be thou my sun and thou my shield,
My soul in safety keep;
Make haste before mine eyes are seal'd
In death's eternal sleep.
5 How would the tempter boast aloud
If I become his prey!
Behold the sons of hell grow proud
At thy so long delay.
6 But they shall fly at thy rebuke,
And Satan hide his head;
He knows the terrors of thy look
And hears thy voice with dread.
7 Thou wilt display that sovereign grace,
Where all my hopes have hung;
I shall employ my lips in praise,
And victory shall be sung.
Psalm 14:1. First Part.
By nature all men are sinners.
1 Fools in their hearts believe and say,
"That all religion's vain,
"There is no God that reigns on high,
"Or minds th' affairs of men."
2 From thoughts so dreadful and profane
Corrupt discourse proceeds;
And in their impious hands are found
Abominable deeds.
3 The Lord, from his celestial throne
Look'd down on things below,
To find the man that sought his grace,
Or did his justice know.
4 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.
5 Their tongues are us'd to speak deceit,
Their slanders never cease;
How swift to mischief are their feet,
Nor knew the paths of peace.
6 Such seeds of sin (that bitter root)
In every heart are found;
Nor can they bear diviner fruit,
Till grace refine the ground.
Psalm 14:2. Second Part.
The folly of persecutors.
1 Are sinners now so senseless grown
That they thy saints devour?
And never worship at thy throne,
Nor fear thine awful power?
2 Great God appear to their surprise,
Reveal thy dreadful name;
Let them no more thy wrath despise,
Nor turn our hope to shame.
3 Dost thou not dwell among the just?
And yet our foes deride,
That we should make thy name our trust;
Great God, confound their pride.
4 O that the joyful day were come
To finish our distress!
When God shall bring his children home,
Our songs shall never cease.
Psalm 15:1. C. M.
Characters of a saint; or, a citizen of Zion;
or, The qualifications of a Christian.
1 Who shall inhabit in thy hill,
O God of holiness?
Whom will the Lord admit to dwell
So near his throne of grace?
2 The man that walks in pious ways,
And works with righteous hands;
That trusts his Maker's promises,
And follows his commands.
3 He speaks the meaning of his heart,
Nor slanders with his tongue;
Will scarce believe an ill report,
Nor do his neighbour wrong.
4 The wealthy sinner he contemns,
Loves all that fear the Lord:
And tho' to his own hurt he swears,
Still he performs his word.
5 His hands disdain a golden bribe,
And never gripe the poor;
This man shall dwell with God on earth,
And find his heaven secure.
Psalm 15:2. L. M.
Religion and justice, goodness and truth;
or, Duties to God and man;
or, The qualifications of a Christian.
1 Who shall ascend thy heavenly place,
Great God, and dwell before thy face?
The man that minds religion now,
And humbly walks with God below:
2 Whose hands are pure, whose heart is clean,
Whose lips still speak the thing they mean;
No slanders dwell upon his tongue;
He hates to do his neighbour wrong.
3 [Scarce will he trust an ill report,
Nor vents it to his neighbour's hurt:
Sinners of state he can despise,
But saints are honour'd in his eyes.]
4 [Firm to his word he ever stood,
And always makes his promise good;
Nor dares to change the thing he swears,
Whatever pain or loss he bears.]
5 [He never deals in bribing gold,
And mourns that justice should be sold:
While others gripe and grind the poor,
Sweet charity attends his door.]
6 [He loves his enemies, and prays
For those that curse him to his face;
And doth to all men still the same
That he would hope or wish from them.]
7 Yet when his holiest works are done,
His soul depends on grace alone;
This is the man thy face shall see,
And dwell for ever Lord, with thee.
Psalm 16:1. First Part. L. M.
Confession of our poverty, and saints the best
company; or, Good works profit men, not God.
1 Preserve me, Lord, in time of need
For succour to thy throne I flee,
But have no merits there to plead;
My goodness cannot reach to thee.
2 Oft have my heart and tongue confest
How empty and how poor I am;
My praise can never make thee blest,
Nor add new glories to thy name.
3 Yet, Lord, thy saints on earth may reap
Some profit by the good we do;
These are the company I keep,
These are the choicest friends I know.
4 Let others choose the sons of mirth
To give a relish to their wine,
I love the men of heavenly birth,
Whose thoughts and language are divine.
Psalm 16:2. Second Part. L. M.
Christ's all-sufficiency.
1 How fast their guilt and sorrows rise
Who haste to seek some idol god!
I will not taste their sacrifice,
Their offerings of forbidden blood.
2 My God provides a richer cup,
And nobler food to live upon;
He for my life has offer'd up
Jesus, his best beloved Son.
3 His love is my perpetual feast;
By day his counsels guide me right;
And be his name for ever blest,
Who gives me sweet advice by night.
4 I set him still before mine eyes;
At my right hand he stands prepar'd
To keep my soul from all surprise,
And be my everlasting guard.
Psalm 16:3. Third Part. L. M.
Courage in death, and hope of the resurrection.
1 When God is nigh, my faith is strong,
His arm is my almighty prop:
Be glad, my heart; rejoice, my tongue,
My dying flesh shall rest in hope.
2 Tho' in the dust I lay my head,
Yet, gracious God, thou wilt not leave
My soul for ever with the dead,
Nor lose thy children in the grave.
3 My flesh shall thy first call obey,
Shake off the dust, and rise on high;
Then shalt thou lead the wondrous way,
Up to thy throne above the sky.
4 There streams of endless pleasure flow;
And full discoveries of thy grace
(Which we but tasted here below)
Spread heavenly joys thro' all the place.
Psalm 16:4. First Part. C. M.
Support and counsel from God without merit.
1 Save me, O Lord, from every foe;
In thee my trust I place,
Tho' all the good that I can do
Can ne'er deserve thy grace.
2 Yet if my God prolong my breath
The saints may profit by't;
The saints, the glory of the earth,
The men of my delight.
3 Let heathens to their idols haste,
And worship wood or stone;
But my delightful lot is cast
Where the true God is known.
4 His hand provides my constant food,
He fills my daily cup;
Much am I pleas'd with present good,
But more rejoice in hope.
5 God is my portion and my joy,
His counsels are my light;
He gives me sweet advice by day,
And gentle hints by night.
6 My soul would all her thoughts approve
To his all-seeing eye;
Not death, nor hell my hope shall move,
While such a friend is nigh.
Psalm 16:5. Second Part. C. M.
The death and resurrection of Christ.
1 I Set the Lord before my face,
"He bears my courage up;
"My heart, and tongue, their joys express,
"My flesh shall rest in hope.
2 "My spirit, Lord, thou wilt not leave
"Where souls departed are;
"Nor quit my body to the grave
"To see corruption there.
3 "Thou wilt reveal the path of life,
"And raise me to thy throne;
"Thy courts immortal pleasure give,
"Thy presence joys unknown."
4 [Thus in the name of Christ, the Lord,
The holy David sung,
And Providence fulfils the word
Of his prophetic tongue.
5 Jesus, whom every saint adores,
Was crucify'd and slain;
Behold the tomb its prey restores,
Behold, he lives again!
6 When shall my feet arise and stand
On heaven's eternal hills?
There sits the Son at God's right hand,
And there the Father smiles.]
Psalm 17:1. 13 &c. S. M.
Portion of saints and sinners;
or, Hope and despair in death.
1 Arise, my gracious God,
And make the wicked flee;
They are but thy chastising rod
To drive thy saints to thee.
2 Behold the sinner dies,
His haughty words are vain;
Here in this life his pleasure lies,
And all beyond is pain.
3 Then let his pride advance,
And boast of all his store:
The Lord is my inheritance,
My soul can wish no more.
4 I shall behold the face
Of my forgiving God,
And stand complete in righteousness,
Wash'd in my Saviour's blood.
5 There's a new heaven begun,
When I awake from death,
Drest in the likeness of thy Son,
And draw immortal breath.
Psalm 17:2. L. M.
The sinner's portion, and saint's hope; or, The
heaven of separate souls, and the resurrection.
1 Lord, I am thine; but thou wilt prove
My faith, my patience, and my love;
When men of spite against me join,
They are the sword, the hand is thine.
2 Their hope and portion lies below;
'Tis all the happiness they know,
'Tis all they seek; they take their shares,
And leave the rest among their heirs.
3 What sinners value, I resign;
Lord, 'tis enough that thou art mine;
I shall behold thy blissful face,
And stand complete in righteousness.
4 This life's a dream, an empty show;
But the bright world to which I go
Hath joys substantial and sincere;
When shall I wake, and find me there?
5 O glorious hour! O blest abode!
I shall be near and like my God!
And flesh and sin no more control
The sacred pleasures of the soul.
6 My flesh shall slumber in the ground,
Till the last trumpet's joyful sound;
Then burst the chains with sweet surprise,
And in my Saviour's image rise.
Psalm 18:1. 1-6 15-18. First Part. L. M.
Deliverance from despair; or, Temptations overcome.
1 Thee will I love, O Lord, my strength,
My rock, my tower, my high defence,
Thy mighty arm shall be my trust,
For I have found salvation thence.
2 Death, and the terrors of the grave
Stood round me with their dismal shade;
While floods of high temptations rose,
And made my sinking soul afraid.
3 I saw the opening gates of hell,
With endless pains and sorrows there,
Which none but they that feel can tell,
While I was hurried to despair.
4 In my distress I call'd 'my God,'
When I could scarce believe him mine;
He bow'd his ear to my complaint,
Then did his grace appear divine.
5 [With speed he flew to my relief,
As on a cherub's wing he rode;
Awful and bright as lightning shone
The face of my deliverer, God.
6 Temptations fled at his rebuke,
The blast of his almighty breath;
He sent salvation from on high,
And drew me from the deeps of death.]
7 Great were my fears, my foes were great,
Much was their strength, and more their rage;
But Christ, my Lord, is conqueror still,
In all the wars that devils wage.
8 My song for ever shall record
That terrible, that joyful hour;
And give the glory to the Lord
Due to his mercy and his power.
Psalm 18:2. 20-26. Second Part. L. M.
Sincerity proved and rewarded.
1 Lord, thou hast seen my soul sincere,
Hast made thy truth and love appear;
Before mine eyes I set thy laws,
And thou hast own'd my righteous cause.
2 Since I have learnt thy holy ways,
I've walk'd upright before thy face;
Or if my feet did e'er depart,
'Twas never with a wicked heart.
3 What sore temptations broke my rest!
What wars and strugglings in my breast!
But thro' thy grace that reigns within,
I guard against my darling sin:
4 That sin which close besets me still,
That works and strives against my will;
When shall thy Spirit's sovereign power
Destroy it that it rise no more?
5 [With an impartial hand, the Lord
Deals out to mortals their reward;
The kind and faithful souls shall find
A God as faithful, and as kind.
6 The just and pure shall ever say,
Thou art more pure, more just than they;
And men that love revenge shall know,
God hath an arm of vengeance too.]
Psalm 18:3. 30 31 34 35 46. 3d Part. L. M.
Rejoicing in God; or, Salvation and triumph.
1 Just are thy ways, and true thy word,
Great rock of my secure abode;
Who is a God beside the Lord?
Or where's a refuge like our God?
2 'Tis he that girds me with his might,
Gives me his holy sword to wield;
And while with sin and hell I fight,
Spreads his salvation for my shield.
3 He lives (and blessed be my rock!)
The God of my salvation lives,
The dark designs of hell are broke;
Sweet is the peace my Father gives.
4 Before the scoffers of the age,
I will exalt my Father's name,
Nor tremble at their mighty rage,
But meet reproach and bear the shame.
5 To David and his royal seed
Thy grace for ever shall extend;
Thy love to saints in Christ their head
Knows not a limit, nor an end.
Psalm 18:4. First Part. C. M.
Victory and triumph over temporal enemies.
1 We love thee, Lord, and we adore,
Now is thine arm reveal'd;
Thou art our strength, our heavenly tower,
Our bulwark and our shield.
2 We fly to our eternal rock,
And find a sure defence;
His holy name our lips invoke,
And draw salvation thence.
3 When God, our leader, shines in arms,
What mortal heart can bear
The thunder of his loud alarms?
The lightning of his spear?
4 He rides upon the winged wind,
And angels in array
In millions wait to know his mind,
And swift as flames obey.
5 He speaks, and at his fierce rebuke,
Whole armies are dismay'd;
His voice, his frown, his angry look
Strikes all their courage dead.
6 He forms our generals for the field,
With all their dreadful skill;
Gives them his awful sword to wield,
And makes their hearts of steel.
7 [He arms our captains to the fight,
Tho' there his name's forgot:
He girded Cyrus with his might,
But Cyrus knew him not.
8 Oft has the Lord whole nations blest
For his own church's sake:
The powers that give his people rest,
Shall of his care partake.]
Psalm 18:5. Second Part. C. M.
The conqueror's song.
1 To thine almighty arm we owe
The triumphs of the day
Thy terrors, Lord, confound the foe,
And melt their strength away.
2 'Tis by thine aid our troops prevail,
And break united powers,
Or burn their boasted fleets, or scale
The proudest of their towers.
3 How have we chas'd them thro' the field,
And trod them to the ground,
While thy salvation was our shield,
But they no shelter found!
4 In vain to idol-saints they cry,
And perish in their blood;
Where is a rock so great, so high,
So powerful as our God?
5 The Rock of Israel ever lives,
His name be ever blest;
'Tis his own arm the victory gives,
And gives his people rest.
6 On kings that reign as David did,
He pours his blessings down;
Secures their honours to their seed,
And well supports the crown.
Psalm 19:1. First Part. S. M.
The book of nature and scripture.
For a Lord's-day morning.
1 Behold the lofty sky
Declares its maker God,
And all his starry works on high
Proclaim his power abroad.
2 The darkness and the light
Still keep their course the same;
While night to day, and day to night
Divinely teach his name.
3 In every different land
Their general voice is known
They shew the wonders of his hand,
And orders of his throne.
4 Ye British lands, rejoice,
Here he reveals his word,
We are not left to nature's voice
To bid us know the Lord.
5 His statutes and commands
Are set before our eyes;
He puts his gospel in our hands,
Where our salvation lies.
6 His laws are just and pure,
His truth without deceit,
His promises for ever sure,
And his rewards are great.
7 [Not honey to the taste
Affords so much delight,
Nor gold that has the furnace past
So much allures the sight.
8 While of thy works I sing,
Thy glory to proclaim,
Accept the praise, my God, my King,
In my Redeemer's name.]
Psalm 19:2. Second Part. S. M.
God's word most excellent; or,
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