The Psalms of David
by
Isaac Watts
Part 3 out of 7
He is my rest, my sure relief.
6 Thy light and truth shall guide me still,
Thy word shall my best thoughts employ,
And lead me to thine heavenly hill,
My God, my most exceeding Joy.
Psalm 44. 1 2 3 8 15-26.
The church's complaint in persecution.
1 Lord, we have heard thy works of old,
Thy works of power and grace,
When to our ears our fathers told
The wonders of their days:
2 How thou didst build thy churches here,
And make thy gospel known;
Amongst them did thine arm appear,
Thy light and glory shone.
3 In God they boasted all the day,
And in a cheerful throng
Did thousands meet to praise and pray,
And grace was all their song.
4 But now our souls are seiz'd with shame,
Confusion fills our face,
To hear the enemy blaspheme,
And fools reproach thy grace.
5 Yet have we not forgot our God,
Nor falsely dealt with heaven,
Nor have our steps declin'd the road
Of duty thou hast given.
6 Tho' dragons all around us roar
With their destructive breath,
And thine own hand has bruis'd us sore
Hard by the gates of death.
PAUSE.
7 We are expos'd all day to die
As martyrs for thy cause,
As sheep for slaughter bound we lie
By sharp and bloody laws.
8 Awake, arise, almighty Lord,
Why sleeps thy wonted grace?
Why should we look like men abhorr'd,
Or banish'd from thy face?
9 Wilt thou for ever cast us off
And still neglect our cries?
For ever hide thine heavenly love
From our afflicted eyes?
10 Down to the dust our soul is bow'd,
And dies upon the ground;
Rise for our help, rebuke the proud,
And all their powers confound.
11 Redeem us from perpetual shame,
Our Saviour and our God;
We plead the honours of thy Name,
The merits of thy blood.
Psalm 45:1. S. M.
The glory of Christ; the success of
the gospel; and the Gentile church.
1 My Saviour and my King,
Thy beauties are divine;
Thy lips with blessings overflow,
And every grace is thine.
2 Now make thy glory known,
Gird on thy dreadful sword,
And ride in majesty to spread
The conquests of thy word.
Strike thro' thy stubborn foes,
Or melt their hearts t'obey,
While justice, meekness, grace, and truth,
Attend thy glorious way.
4 Thy laws, O God, are right;
Thy throne shall ever end;
And thy victorious gospel proves
A sceptre in thy hand.
5 [Thy Father and thy God
Hath without measure shed
His Spirit, like a joyful oil,
T'anoint thy sacred head.]
6 [Behold, at thy right hand
The Gentile church is seen,
Like a fair bride in rich attire,
And princes guard the queen.]
7 Fair bride, receive his love,
Forget thy father's house;
Forsake thy gods, thy idol gods,
And pay thy Lord thy vows.
8 O let thy God and King
Thy sweetest thoughts employ;
Thy children shall his honours sing
In palaces of joy.
Psalm 45:2. C. M.
The personal glories and government of Christ.
1 I'll speak the honours of my King,
His form divinely fair;
None of the sons of mortal race
May with the Lord compare.
2 Sweet is thy speech and heavenly grace
Upon thy lips is shed;
Thy God, with blessings infinite,
Hath crown'd thy sacred head.
3 Gird on thy sword, victorious Prince,
Ride with majestic sway;
Thy terrors shall strike thro' thy foes,
And make the world obey.
4 Thy throne, O God, for ever stands;
Thy word of grace shall prove
A peaceful sceptre in thy hands,
To rule the saints by love.
5 Justice and truth attend thee still
But mercy is thy choice;
And God, thy God, thy soul shall fill
With most peculiar joys.
Psalm 45:3. First Part. L. M.
The glory of Christ, and power of his gospel.
1 Now be my heart inspir'd to sing
The glories of my Saviour-king,
Jesus the Lord; how heavenly fair
His form! how 'bright his beauties are!
2 O'er all the sons of human race
He shines with a superior grace,
Love from his lips divinely flows,
And blessings all his state compose.
3 Dress thee in arms, most mighty Lord,
Gird on the terror of thy sword,
In majesty and glory ride
With truth and meekness at thy side.
4 Thine anger, like a pointed dart,
Shall pierce the foes of stubborn heart;
Or words of mercy kind and sweet
Shall melt the rebels at thy feet.
5 Thy throne, O God, for ever stands,
Grace is the sceptre in thy hands;
Thy laws and works are just and right,
Justice and grace are thy delight.
6 God, thine own God, has richly shed
His oil of gladness on thy head,
And with his sacred Spirit blest
His first-born Son above the rest.
Psalm 45:4. Second Part. L. M.
Christ and his church; or, The mystical marriage.
1 The king of saints, how fair his face,
Adorn'd with majesty and grace!
He comes with blessings from above,
And wins the nations to his love.
2 At his right hand our eyes behold
The queen array'd in purest gold;
The world admires her heavenly dress,
Her robe of joy and righteousness.
3 He forms her beauties like his own;
He calls and seats her near his throne:
Fair stranger, let thine heart forget
The idols of thy native state.
4 So shall the King the more rejoice
In thee, the favourite of his choice;
Let him be lov'd and yet ador'd,
For he's thy Maker and thy Lord.
5 O happy hour, when thou shalt rise
To his fair palace in the skies,
And all thy Sons (a numerous train)
Each like a prince in glory reign!
6 Let endless honours crown his head;
Let every age his praises spread;
While we with cheerful songs approve
The condescensions of his love.
Psalm 46:1. First Part.
The church's safety and triumph
among national desolations.
1 God is the refuge of his saints,
When storms of sharp distress invade;
Ere we can offer our complaints
Behold him present with his aid.
2 Let mountains from their seats be hurl'd
Down to the deep, and buried there;
Convulsions shake the solid world,
Our faith shall never yield to fear.
3 Loud may the troubled ocean roar,
In sacred peace our souls abide,
While every nation, every shore,
Trembles, and dreads the swelling tide.
4 There is a stream whose gentle flow
Supplies the city of our God;
Life, love, and joy still gliding thro',
And watering our divine abode.
5 That sacred stream, thine holy word,
That all our raging fear controls:
Sweet peace thy promises afford,
And give new strength to fainting souls.
6 Sion enjoys her monarch's love,
Secure against a threatening hour;
Nor can her firm foundations move,
Built on his truth, and arm'd with pow'r.
Psalm 46:2. Second Part.
God fights for his church.
1 Let Sion in her King rejoice,
Tho' tyrants rage and kingdoms rise;
He utters his almighty voice,
The nations melt, the tumult dies.
2 The Lord of old for Jacob fought,
And Jacob's God is still our aid;
Behold the works his hand has wrought,
What desolations he has made!
3 From sea to sea, thro' all the shores,
He makes the noise of battle cease;
When from on high his thunder roars,
He awes the trembling world to peace.
4 He breaks the bow, he cuts the spear,
Chariots he burns with heavenly flame;
Keep silence all the earth, and hear
The sound and glory of his Name.
5 "Be still, and learn that I am God,
"I'll be exalted o'er the lands,
"I will be known and fear'd abroad,
"But still my throne in Sion stands."
6 O Lord of hosts, almighty King,
While we so near thy presence dwell,
Our faith shall sit secure, and sing
Defiance to the gates of hell.
Psalm 47.
Christ ascending and reigning.
1 O for a shout of sacred joy
To God the sovereign King!
Let every land their tongues employ,
And hymns of triumph sing.
2 Jesus our God ascends on high,
His heavenly guards around
Attend him rising thro' the sky,
With trumpet's joyful sound.
3 While angels shout and praise their King,
Let mortals learn their strains;
Let all the earth his honour sing;
O'er all the earth he reigns.
4 Rehearse his praise with awe profound,
Let knowledge lead the song,
Nor mock him with a solemn sound
Upon a thoughtless tongue.
5 In Israel stood his ancient throne,
He lov'd that chosen race;
But now he calls the world his own,
And heathens taste his grace.
6 The British islands are the Lord's,
There Abraham's God is known,
While powers and princes, shields and swords,
Submit before his throne.
Psalm 48:1. 1-8. First Part.
The church is the honour and safety of a nation.
1 [Great is the Lord our God,
And let his praise be great;
He makes his churches his abode,
His most delightful seat.
2 These temples of his grace,
How beautiful they stand!
The honours of our native place,
And bulwarks of our land.]
3 In Sion God is known
A refuge in distress;
How bright has his salvation shone
Thro' all her palaces!
4 When kings against her join'd,
And saw the Lord was there,
In wild confusion of the mind
They fled with hasty tear.
5 When navies tall and proud
Attempt to spoil our peace,
He sends his tempests roaring loud,
And sinks them in the seas.
6 Oft have our fathers told,
Our eyes have often seen,
How well our God secures the fold
Where his own sheep have been.
7 In every new distress
We'll to his house repair.
We'll think upon his wondrous grace,
And seek deliverance there.
Psalm 48:2. 10-14. Second Part.
The beauty of the church; or,
Gospel worship and order.
1 Far as thy name is known
The world declares thy praise;
Thy saints, O Lord, before thy throne
Their songs of honour raise.
2 With joy let Judah stand
On Sion's chosen hill,
Proclaim the wonders of thy hand,
And counsels of thy will.
3 Let strangers walk around
The city where we dwell,
Compass and view thine holy ground,
And mark the building well.
4 The orders of thy house,
The worship of thy court,
The cheerful songs, the solemn vows;
And make a fair report.
5 How decent and how wise!
How glorious to behold!
Beyond the pomp that charms the eyes,
And rites adorn'd with gold.
6 The God we worship now
Will guide us till we die,
Will be our God while here below,
And ours above the sky.
Psalm 49:1. 8-14. First Part. C. M.
Pride and death; or, The vanity of life and riches.
1 Why doth the man of riches grow
To insolence and pride,
To see his wealth and honours flow
With every rising tide?
2 [Why doth he treat the poor with scorn,
Made of the self-same clay,
And boast as tho' his flesh was born
Of better dust than they?]
3 Not all his treasures can procure
His soul a short reprieve,
Redeem from death one guilty hour,
Or make his brother live.
4 [Life is a blessing can't be sold,
The ransom is too high;
Justice will ne'er be brib'd with gold
That man may never die.]
5 He sees the brutish and the wise,
The timorous and the brave,
Quit their possessions, close their eyes,
And hasten to the grave.
6 Yet 'tis his inward thought and pride,--
"My house shall ever stand;
"And that my name may long abide,
"I'll give it to my land."
7 Vain are his thoughts, his hopes are lost,
How soon his memory dies!
His name is written in the dust
Where his own carcase lies.
PAUSE.
8 This is the folly of their way;
And yet their sons, as vain,
Approve the words their fathers say,
And act their works again.
9 Men void of wisdom and of grace,
If honour raise them high.
Live like the beast, a thoughtless race,
And like the beast they die.
10 Laid in the grave like silly sheep,
Death feeds upon them there,
Till the last trumpet break their sleep
In terror and despair.
Psalm 49:2. 14 15. Second Part. C. M.
Death and the resurrection.
1 Ye sons of pride, that hate the just,
And trample on the poor,
When death has brought you down to dust,
Your pomp shall rise no more,
2 The last great day shall change the scene;
When will that hour appear?
When shall the just revive, and reign
O'er all that scorn'd them here?
3 God will my naked soul receive,
When sep'rate from the flesh;
And break the prison of the grave
To raise my bones afresh.
4 Heaven is my everlasting home,
Th' inheritance is sure;
Let men of pride their rage resume,
But I'll repine no more.
Psalm 49:3. L. M.
The rich sinner's death, and the saint's resurrection.
1 Why do the proud insult the poor,
And boast the large estates they have?
How vain are riches to secure
Their haughty owners from the grave!
2 They can't redeem one hour from death,
With all the wealth in which they trust;
Nor give a dying brother breath,
When God commands him down to dust.
3 There the dark earth and dismal shade
Shall clasp their naked bodies round;
That flesh, so delicately fed,
Lies cold, and moulders in the ground.
4 Like thoughtless sheep the sinner dies,
Laid in the grave for worms to eat;
The saints shall in the morning rise,
And find th' oppressor at their feet.
5 His honours perish in the dust,
And pomp and beauty, birth and blood:
That glorious day exalts the just
To full dominion o'er the proud.
6 My Saviour shall my life restore,
And raise me from my dark abode;
My flesh and soul shall part no more,
But dwell for ever near my God.
Psalm 50:1. 1-6. First Part. C. M.
The last judgment; or, The saints rewarded.
1 The Lord, the Judge, before his throne,
Bids the whole earth draw nigh,
The nations near the rising sun,
And near the western sky.
2 No more shall bold blasphemers say,
"Judgment will ne'er begin,"
No more abuse his long delay
To impudence and sin.
3 Thron'd on a cloud our God shall come,
Bright flames prepare his way,
Thunder and darkness, fire and storm,
Lead on the dreadful day.
4 Heaven from above his call shall hear,
Attending angels come,
And earth and hell shall know and fear
His justice and their doom.
5 "But gather all my saints," he cries,
"That made their peace with God,
"By the Redeemer's sacrifice,
"And seal'd it with his blood.
6 "Their faith and works brought forth to light
"Shall make the world confess
"My sentence of reward is right,
"And heaven adore my grace."
Psalm 50:2. 8 10 11 14 15 23.
Second Part. C. M.
Obedience is better than sacrifice.
1 Thus saith the Lord, "the spacious fields
"And flocks and herds are mine
"O'er all the cattle of the hills
"I claim a right divine.
2 "I ask no sheep for sacrifice,
"Nor bullocks burnt with fire;
"To hope and love, to pray and praise,
"Is all that I require.
3 "Call upon me when trouble's near,
"My hand shall set thee free;
"Then shall thy thankful lips declare
"The honour due to me.
4 "The man that offers humble praise,
"He glorifies me best;
"And those that tread my holy ways
"Shall my salvation taste."
Psalm 50:3. 1 5 8 16 21 22. 3d Part. C. M.
The judgement of hypocrites.
1 When Christ to judgment shall descend
And saints surround their Lord,
He calls the nations to attend,
And hear his awful word.
2 "Not for the want of bullocks slain
"Will I the world reprove;
"Altars and rites and forms are vain,
"Without the fire of love.
3 "And what have hypocrites to do
"To bring their sacrifice?
"They call my statutes just and true,
"But deal in theft and lies.
4 "Could you expect to 'scape my sight,
"And sin without control?
"But I shall bring your crimes to light,
"With anguish in your soul."
5 Consider, ye that slight the Lord,
Before his wrath appear;
If once you fall beneath his sword,
There's no deliverer there.
Psalm 50:4. L. M.
Hypocrisy exposed.
1 The Lord, the Judge, his churches warns,
Let hypocrites attend and fear,
Who place their hope in rites and forms,
But make not faith nor love their care.
2 Vile wretches dare rehearse his name
With lips of falsehood and deceit;
A friend or brother they defame,
And soothe and flatter those they hate.
3 They watch to do their neighbours wrong;
Yet dare to seek their Maker's face;
They take his covenant on their tongue,
But break his laws, abuse his grace.
4 To heaven they lift their hands unclean,
Defil'd with lust, defil'd with blood;
By night they practise every sin,
By day their mouths draw near to God.
5 And while his judgments long delay,
They grow secure and sin the more;
They think he sleeps as well as they,
And put far off the dreadful hour.
6 O dreadful hour! when God draws near,
And sets their crimes before their eyes!
His wrath their guilty souls shall tear,
And no deliverer dare to rise.
Psalm 50:5. To a new Tune.
The last judgment.
1 The Lord the Sovereign sends his summons forth,
Calls the south nations, and awakes the north;
From east to west the sounding orders spread
Thro' distant worlds and regions of the dead:
No more shall atheists mock his long delay;
His vengeance sleeps no more: behold the day!
2 Behold the Judge descends; his guards are nigh;
Tempest and fire attend him down the sky:
Heaven, earth and hell draw near; let all things come
To hear his justice and the sinners doom:
But gather first my saints (the Judge commands)
Bring them, ye angels, from their distant lands.
3 Behold! my covenant stands for ever good,
Seal'd by the eternal sacrifice in blood,
And sign'd with all their names; the Greek, the Jew,
That paid the ancient worship or the new.
There's no distinction here: come spread their thrones,
And near me seat my favorites and my sons.
4 I their almighty Saviour and their God,
I am their Judge: ye heavens, proclaim abroad
My just eternal sentence, and declare
Those awful truths that sinners dread to hear:
Sinners in Zion, tremble and retire;
I doom the painted hypocrite to fire.
5 Not for the want of goats or bullocks slain
Do I condemn thee; bulls and goats are vain
Without the flames of love: in vain the store
Of brutal offerings that were mine before;
Mine are the tamer beasts and savage breed,
Flocks, herds, and fields, and forests where they feed.
6 If I were hungry would I ask thee food?
When did I thirst, or drink thy bullocks blood?
Can I be flatter'd with thy cringing bows,
Thy solemn chatterings and fantastic vows?
Are my eyes charm'd thy vestments to behold,
Glaring in gems, and gay in woven gold?
7 Unthinking wretch! how couldst thou hope to please
A God, a spirit, with such toys as these?
While with my grace and statutes on thy tongue,
Thou lov'st deceit, and dost thy brother wrong;
In vain to pious forms thy zeal pretends,
Thieves and adulterers are thy chosen friends.
8 Silent I waited with lone-suffering love,
But didst thou hope that I should ne'er reprove?
And cherish such an impious thought within,
That God the righteous would indulge thy sin?
Behold my terrors now: my thunders roll,
And thy own crimes affright thy guilty soul.
9 Sinners, awake betimes; ye fools, be wise;
Awake, before this dreadful morning rise;
Change your vain thoughts, your crooked works amend,
Fly to the Saviour, make the Judge your friend;
Lest like a lion his last vengeance tear
Your trembling souls, and no deliverer near.
Psalm 50:6. To the old proper Tune.
The last judgment.
1 The God of glory sends his summons forth,
Calls the south nations, and awakes the north;
From east to west the sov'reign orders spread,
Thro' distant worlds, and regions of the dead:
The trumpet sounds; hell trembles; heaven rejoices;
Lift up your heads, ye saints, with cheerful voices.
2 No more shall atheists mock his long delay;
His vengeance sleeps no more; behold the day;
Behold the Judge descends; his guards are nigh;
Tempests and fire attend him down the sky.
When God appears, all nature shall adore him;
While sinners tremble, saints rejoice before him,
3 "Heaven, earth, and hell, draw near; let all things come
"To hear my justice and the sinner's doom;
"But gather first my saints," the Judge commands,
"Bring them, ye angels from their distant lands:"
When Christ returns, wake every cheerful passion,
And shout, ye saints; he comes for your salvation.
4 "Behold my covenant stands for ever good,
"Seal'd by th' eternal sacrifice in blood,
"And sign'd with all their names, the Greek, the Jew,
"That paid the ancient worship or the new."
There's no distinction here: join all your voices,
And raise your heads, ye saints, for heaven rejoices.
5 "Here (saith the Lord) ye angels, spread their thrones:
"And near me seat my favorites and my sons:
"Come, my redeem'd, possess the joys prepar'd
"Ere time began! 'tis your divine reward:"
When Christ returns, wake every cheerful passion,
And shout, ye saints; he comes for your salvation.
PAUSE THE FIRST.
6 "I am the Saviour, I th' almighty God,
"I am the Judge: ye heavens, proclaim abroad
"My just eternal sentence, and declare
"Those awful truths that sinners dread to hear,"
When God appears all nature shall adore him;
While sinners tremble, saints rejoice before him.
7 "Stand forth, thou bold blasphemer and profane,
"Now feel my wrath, nor call my threatenings vain,
"Thou hypocrite, once drest in saint's attire,
"I doom the painted hypocrite to fire."
Judgment proceeds; hell trembles; heaven rejoices;
Lift up your heads, ye saints, with cheerful voices.
8 "Not for the want of goats or bullocks slain
"Do I condemn thee; bulls and goats are vain
"Without the flames of love; in vain the store
"Of brutal offerings that were mine before:"
Earth is the Lord's; all nature shall adore him;
While sinners tremble, saints rejoice before him.
9 "If I were hungry, would I ask thee food?
"When did I thirst, or drink thy bullocks blood?
"Mine are the tamer beasts and savage breed,
"Flocks, herds, and fields, and forests where they feed:"
All is the Lord's; he rules the wide creation:
Gives sinners vengeance, and the saints salvation.
10 "Can I be flatter'd with thy cringing bows,
"Thy solemn chatterings and fantastic vows?
"Are my eyes charm'd thy vestments to behold,
"Glaring in gems, and gay in woven gold?"
God is the judge of hearts; no fair disguises
Can screen the guilty when his vengeance rises.
PAUSE THE SECOND.
11 "Unthinking wretch! how couldst thou hope to please
"A God, a spirit with such toys as these!
"While with my grace and statutes on thy tongue,
"Thou lov'st deceit, and dost thy brother wrong!"
Judgment proceeds; hell trembles; heaven rejoices:
Lift up your heads, ye saints, with cheerful voices.
12 "In vain to pious forms thy zeal pretends,
"Thieves and adulterers are thy chosen friends;
"While the false flatterer at my altar waits,
"His harden'd soul divine instruction hates."
God is the judge of hearts; no fair disguises
Can screen the guilty when his vengeance rises.
13 "Silent I waited with long suffering love;
"But didst thou hope that I should ne'er reprove?
"And cherish such an impious thought within,
"That the All-Holy would indulge thy sin?"
See, God appears; all nature joins t' adore him;
Judgment proceeds, and sinners fall before him.
14 "Behold my terrors now; my thunders roll,
"And thy own crimes affright thy guilty soul;
"Now like a lion shall my vengeance tear
"Thy bleeding heart, and no deliverer near:"
Judgment concludes; hell trembles; heaven rejoices;
Lift up your heads, ye saints, with cheerful voices..
EPIPHONEMA.
15 Sinners, awake betimes; ye fools, be wise;
Awake before this dreadful morning rise:
Change your vain thoughts, your crooked works amend,
Fly to the Saviour, make the Judge your friend:
Then join the saints: wake every cheerful passion;
When Christ returns, he comes for your salvation.
Psalm 51:1. First Part. L. M.
A penitent pleading for pardon.
1 Shew pity, Lord, O Lord, forgive,
Let a repenting rebel live:
Are not thy mercies large and free?
May not a sinner trust in thee?
2 My crimes are great, but not surpass
The power and glory of thy grace;
Great God, thy nature hath no bound,
So let thy pardoning love be found.
3 O wash my Soul from every sin,
And make my guilty conscience clean;
Here on my heart the burden lies,
And past offences pain my eyes.
4 My lips with shame my sins confess
Against thy law, against thy grace:
Lord, should thy judgment grow severe,
I am condemn'd, but thou art clear.
5 Should sudden vengeance seize my breath,
I must pronounce thee just in death;
And if my soul were sent to hell,
Thy righteous law approves it well.
6 Yet save a trembling sinner, Lord,
Whose hope, still hovering round thy word,
Would light on some sweet promise there,
Some sure support against despair.
Psalms 51:2. Second Part. L. M.
Original and actual sin confessed.
1 Lord, I am vile, conceiv'd in sin;
And born unholy and unclean;
Sprung from the man whose guilty fall
Corrupts the race, and taints us all.
2 Soon as we draw our infant-breath,
The seeds of sin grow up for death;
Thy law demands a perfect heart,
But we're defil'd in every part.
3 [Great God, create my heart anew,
And form my spirit pure and true:
O make me wise betimes to spy
My danger, and my remedy.]
4 Behold I fall before thy face;
My only refuge is thy grace:
No outward forms can make me clean;
The leprosy lies deep within.
5 No bleeding bird, nor bleeding beast,
Nor hyssop branch, nor sprinkling priest,
Nor running brook, nor flood, nor sea,
Can wash the dismal stain away.
6 Jesus, my God, thy blood alone
Hath power sufficient to atone;
Thy blood can make me white as snow;
No Jewish types could cleanse me so.
7 While guilt disturbs and breaks my peace,
Nor flesh, nor soul hath rest or ease;
Lord, let me hear thy pardoning voice,
And make my broken bones rejoice.
Psalm 51:3. Third Part. L. M.
The backslider restored; or, Repentance
and faith in the blood of Christ.
1 O thou that hear'st when sinners cry,
Tho' all my crimes before thee lie,
Behold them not with angry look,
But blot their memory from thy book.
2 Create my nature pure within,
And form my soul averse to sin;
Let thy good Spirit ne'er depart,
Nor hide thy presence from my heart.
3 I cannot live without thy light,
Cast out and banish'd from thy sight:
Thine holy joys, my God, restore,
And guard me that I fall no more.
4 Tho' I have griev'd thy Spirit, Lord,
His help and comfort still afford:
And let a wretch come near thy throne
To plead the merits of thy Son.
5 A broken heart, my God, my King,
Is all the sacrifice I bring;
The God of grace will ne'er despise
A broken heart for sacrifice.
6 My soul lies humbled in the dust,
And owns thy dreadful sentence just;
Look down, O Lord, with pitying eye,
And save the soul condemn'd to die.
7 Then will I teach the world thy ways;
Sinners shall learn thy sovereign grace;
I'll lead them to my Saviour's blood,
And they shall praise a pardoning God.
8 O may thy love inspire my tongue!
Salvation shall be all my song;
And all my powers shall join to bless
The Lord, my strength and righteousness.
Psalm 51:4. 3-13. First Part. C. M.
Original and actual sin confessed and pardoned.
1 Lord, I would spread my sore distress
And guilt before thine eyes;
Against thy laws, against thy grace,
How high my crimes arise.
2 Shouldst thou condemn my soul to hell,
And crush my flesh to dust,
Heaven would approve thy vengeance well,
And earth must own it just.
3 I from the stock of Adam came,
Unholy and unclean;
All my original is shame,
And all my nature sin.
4 Born in a world of guilt, I drew
Contagion with my breath;
And, as my days advanc'd, I grew
A juster prey for death.
5 Cleanse me, O Lord, and cheer my soul
With thy forgiving love;
O, make my broken spirit whole,
And bid my pains remove.
6 Let not thy Spirit quite depart,
Nor drive me from thy face;
Create anew my vicious heart,
And fill it with thy grace.
7 Then will I make thy mercy known
Before the sons of men;
Backsliders shall address thy throne,
And turn to God again.
Psalm 51:5. 14-17. Second Part. C. M.
Repentance and faith in the blood of Christ.
1 O God of mercy! hear my call,
My loads of guilt remove;
Break down this separating wall
That bars me from thy love.
2 Give me the presence of thy grace,
Then my rejoicing tongue
Shall speak aloud thy righteousness,
And make thy praise my song.
3 No blood of goats, nor heifers slain,
For sin could e'er atone;
The death of Christ shall still remain
Sufficient and alone.
4 A soul opprest with sin's desert,
My God will ne'er despise;
A humble groan, a broken heart
Is our best sacrifice.
Psalm 53. 4-6.
Victory and deliverance from persecution.
1 Are all the foes of Sion fools,
Who thus devour her saints?
Do they not know her Saviour rules,
And pities her complaints?
2 They shall be seiz'd with sad surprise;
For God's revenging arm
Scatters the bones of them that rise
To do his children harm.
3 In vain the sons of Satan boast
Of armies in array:
When God has first despis'd their host,
They fall an easy prey.
4 O for a word from Sion's King
Her captives to restore!
Jacob with all his tribes shall sing,
And Judah weep no more.
Psalm 55:1. 1-8 16-18 22. C. M.
Support for the afflicted and tempted soul.
1 O God, my refuge, hear my cries,
Behold my flowing tears,
For earth and hell my hurt devise,
And triumph in my fears.
2 Their rage is levell'd at my life,
My soul with guilt they load,
And fill my thoughts with inward strife
To shake my hope in God.
3 With inward pain my heart-strings sound,
I groan with every breath;
Horror and fear beset me round
Amongst the shades of death,
4 O were I like a feather'd dove,
And innocence had wings,
I'd fly, and make a long remove,
From all these restless things.
5 Let me to some wild desert go,
And find a peaceful home,
Where storms of malice never blow,
Temptations never come.
6 Vain hopes, and vain inventions all
To 'scape the rage of hell!
The mighty God on whom I call
Can save me here as well.
PAUSE.
7 By morning light I'll seek his face,
At noon repeat my cry,
The night shall hear me ask his grace,
Nor will he long deny.
8 God shall preserve my soul from fear,
Or shield me when afraid;
Ten thousand angels must appear
If he command their aid.
9 I cast my burdens on the Lord,
The Lord sustains them all;
My courage rests upon his word
That saints shall never fall.
10 My highest hopes shall not be vain,
My lips shall spread his praise;
While cruel and deceitful men
Scarce live out half their days.
Psalm 55:2. 15-17 19 22. S. M.
Dangerous prosperity; or,
Daily devotions encouraged.
1 Let sinners take their course,
And choose the road to death;
But in the worship of my God
I'll spend my daily breath.
2 My thoughts address his throne
When morning brings the light;
I seek his blessing every noon,
And pay my vows at night.
3 Thou wilt regard my cries,
O my eternal God,
While sinners perish in surprise
Beneath thine angry rod.
4 Because they dwell at ease,
And no sad changes feel,
They neither fear nor trust thy Name,
Nor learn to do thy will.
5 But I with all my cares
Will call upon the Lord,
I'll cast my burdens on his arm,
And rest upon his word,
6 His arm shall well sustain
The children of his love;
The ground on which their safety stands
No earthly power can move.
Psalm 56.
Deliverance from oppression and falsehood; or,
God's care of his people, in answer to faith and prayer.
1 Thou, whose justice reigns on high,
And makes th' oppressor cease,
Behold how envious sinners try
To vex and break my peace!
2 The Sons of violence and lies
Join to devour me, Lord;
But as my hourly dangers rise,
My refuge is thy word.
3 In God most holy, just, and true,
I have repos'd my trust;
Nor will I fear what flesh can do,
The offspring of the dust.
4 They wrest my words to mischief still,
Charge me with unknown faults;
Mischief doth all their councils fill,
And malice all their thoughts.
5 Shall they escape without thy frown?
Must their devices stand?
O cast the haughty sinner down,
And let him know thy hand!
PAUSE.
6 God counts the sorrows of his saints,
Their groans affect his ears;
Thou hast a book for my complaints,
A bottle for my tears.
7 When to thy throne I raise my cry
The wicked fear and flee;
So swift is prayer to reach the sky,
So near is God to me.
8 In thee, most holy, just, and true,
I have repos'd my trust;
Nor will I fear what man can do,
The offspring of the dust.
9 Thy solemn vows are on me, Lord,
Thou shalt receive my praise;
I'll sing, "how faithful is thy word,
"How righteous all thy ways!"
10 Thou hast secur'd my soul from death;
O set thy prisoner free,
That heart and hand, and life and breath
May be employ'd for thee.
Psalm 57.
Praise for protection, grace, and truth.
1 My God, in whom are all the springs
Of boundless love and grace unknown,
Hide me beneath thy spreading wings
Till the dark cloud is overblown.
2 Up to the heavens I send my cry,
The Lord will my desires perform;
He sends his angel from the sky,
And saves me from the threatening storm.
3 Be thou exalted, O my God,
Above the heavens where angels dwell:
Thy power on earth be known abroad,
And land to land thy wonders tell.
4 My heart is fix'd; my song shall raise
Immortal honours to thy Name;
Awake, my tongue, to sound his praise,
My tongue, the glory of my frame.
5 High o'er the earth his mercy reigns,
And reaches to the utmost sky;
His truth to endless years remains,
When lower worlds dissolve and die.
6 Be thou exalted, O my God,
Above the heavens where angels dwell;
Thy power on earth be known abroad,
And land to land thy wonders tell.
Psalm 58. As the 113th Psalm.
Warning to magistrates.
1 Judges, who rule the world by laws,
Will ye despise the righteous cause,
When th' injur'd poor before you stands?
Dare ye condemn the righteous poor,
And let rich sinners 'scape secure,
While gold and greatness bribe your hands?
2 Have ye forgot, or never knew,
That God will judge the judges too?
High in the heavens his justice reigns?
Yet you invade the rights of God,
And send your bold decrees abroad,
To bind the conscience in your chains.
3 A poison'd arrow is your tongue,
The arrow sharp, the poison strong,
And death attends where'er it wounds:
You hear no counsels, cries or tears;
So the deaf adder stops her ears
Against the power of charming sounds.
4 Break out their teeth, eternal God,
Those teeth of lions dy'd in blood;
And crush the serpents in the dust:
As empty chaff when whirlwinds rise,
Before the sweeping tempest flies,
So let their hopes and names be lost.
5 Th' Almighty thunders from the sky,
Their grandeur melts, their titles die,
As hills of snow dissolve and run,
Or snails that perish in their slime,
Or births that come before their time,
Vain births, that never see the sun.
6 Thus shall the vengeance of the Lord
Safety and joy to saints afford;
And all that hear shall join and say,
"Sure there's a God that rules on high,
"A God that hears his children cry,
"And will their sufferings well repay."
Psalm 60. 1-5 10-12.
On a day of humiliation for disappointments in war.
1 Lord, hast thou cast the nation off?
Must we for ever mourn?
Wilt thou indulge immortal wrath?
Shall mercy ne'er return?
2 The terror of one frown of thine
Melts all our strength away;
Like men that totter drunk with wine,
We tremble in dismay.
3 Great Britain shakes beneath thy stroke,
And dreads thy threatening hand;
O heal the island thou hast broke,
Confirm the wavering land.
4 Lift up a banner in the field,
For those that fear thy Name;
Save thy beloved with thy shield,
And put our foes to shame.
5 Go with our armies to the fight,
Like a confederate God;
In vain confederate powers unite
Against thy lifted rod.
6 Our troops shall gain a wide renown
By thine assisting hand;
'Tis God that treads the mighty down,
And makes the feeble stand.
Psalm 61. 1-6.
Safety in God.
1 When overwhelm'd with grief
My heart within me dies,
Helpless and far from all relief
To heaven I lift mine eyes.
2 O lead me to the rock
That's high above my head,
And make the covert of thy wings
My shelter and my shade.
3 Within thy presence, Lord,
For ever I'll abide;
Thou art the tower of my defence,
The refuge where I hide.
4 Thou givest me the lot
Of those that fear thy Name;
If endless life be their reward,
I shall possess the same.
Psalm 62. 5-12.
No trust in the creatures; or,
Faith in divine grace and power.
1 My spirit looks to God alone;
My rock and refuge is his throne;
In all my fears, in all my straits,
My soul on his salvation waits.
2 Trust him, ye saints, in all your ways,
Pour out your hearts before his face:
When helpers fail, and foes invade,
God is our all-sufficient aid.
3 False are the men of high degree,
The baser sort are vanity;
Laid in the balance both appear
Light as a puff of empty air.
4 Make not increasing gold your trust,
Nor set your heart on glittering dust;
Why will you grasp the fleeting smoke;
And not believe what God hath spoke?
5 Once has his awful voice declar'd,
Once and again my ears have heard,
"All power is his eternal due;
"He must be fear'd and trusted too."
6 For sovereign power reigns not alone,
Grace is a partner of the throne:
Thy grace and justice, mighty Lord,
Shall well divide our last reward.
Psalm 63:1. 1 2 5 34. First Part. C. M.
The morning of a Lord's day.
1 Early, my God, without delay
I haste to seek thy face;
My thirsty spirit faints away,
Without thy cheering grace.
2 So pilgrims on the scorching sand,
Beneath a burning sky,
Long for a cooling stream at hand,
And they must drink or die.
3 I've seen thy glory and thy power
Thro' all thy temple shine;
My God, repeat that heavenly hour,
That vision so divine.
4 Not all the blessings of a feast
Can please my soul so well,
As when thy richer grace I taste,
And in thy presence dwell.
5 Not life itself with all her joys,
Can my best passions move,
Or raise so high my cheerful voice
As thy forgiving love.
6 Thus till my last expiring day
I'll bless my God and King;
Thus will I lift my hands to pray,
And tune my lips to sing.
Psalm 63:2. 6-10. Second Part.
Midnight thoughts recollected.
1 'Twas in the watches of the night
I thought upon thy power,
I kept thy lovely face in sight
Amidst the darkest hour.
2 My flesh lay resting on my bed,
My soul arose on high;
"My God, my life, my hope," I said,
"Bring thy salvation nigh."
3 My spirit labours up thine hill,
And climbs the heavenly road;
But thy right hand upholds me still,
While I pursue my God.
4 Thy mercy stretches o'er my head
The shadow of thy wings;
My heart rejoices in thine aid,
My tongue awakes and sings.
5 But the destroyers of my peace
Shall fret and rage in vain;
The tempter shall for ever cease,
And all my sins be slain.
6 Thy sword shall give my foes to death,
And send them down to dwell
In the dark caverns of the earth,
Or to the deeps of hell.
Psalm 63:3. L. M.
Longing after God; or, The
love of God better than life.
1 Great God, indulge my humble claim
Thou art my hope, my joy, my rest;
The glories that compose thy Name
Stand all engag'd to make me blest.
2 Thou great and good, thou just and wise,
Thou art my Father and my God;
And I am thine by sacred ties;
Thy son, thy servant bought with blood.
3 With heart, and eyes and lifted hands,
For thee I long, to thee I look,
As travellers in thirsty lands
Pant for the cooling water-brook.
4 With early feet I love t' appear
Among thy saints and seek thy face;
Oft have I seen thy glory there,
And felt the power of sovereign grace.
5 Not fruits nor wines that tempt our taste,
Not all the joys our senses know,
Could make me so divinely blest
Or raise my cheerful passions so.
6 My life itself without thy love
No taste of pleasure could afford;
'Twould but a tiresome burden prove,
If I were banish'd from the Lord.
7 Amidst the wakeful hours of night,
When busy cares afflict my head
One thought of thee gives new delight,
And adds refreshment to my bed.
8 I'll lift my hands, I'll raise my voice,
While I have breath to pray or praise;
This work shall make my heart rejoice,
And spend the remnant of my days.
Psalm 63:4. S. M.
Seeking God.
1 My God, permit my tongue
This joy, to call thee mine,
And let my early cries prevail
To taste thy love divine.
2 My thirsty fainting soul
Thy mercy doth implore;
Not travellers in desert lands
Can pant for water more.
3 Within thy churches, Lord,
I long to find my place,
Thy power and glory to behold,
And feel thy quickening grace.
4 For life without thy love
No relish can afford;
No joy can be compar'd to this,
To serve and please the Lord.
5 To thee I'll lift my hands,
And praise thee while I live;
Not the rich dainties of a feast
Such food or pleasure give.
6 In wakeful hours at night
I call my God to mind;
I think how wise thy counsels are,
And all thy dealings kind.
7 Since thou hast been my help,
To thee my spirit flies,
And on thy watchful providence
My cheerful hope relies.
8 The shadow of thy wings
My soul in safety keeps;
I follow where my Father leads,
And he supports my steps.
Psalm 65:1. 1-5. First Part. L. M.
Public prayer and praise.
1 The praise of Sion waits for thee,
My God; and praise becomes thy house;
There shall thy saints thy glory see,
And there perform their public vows.
2 O thou, whose mercy bends the skies
To save when humble sinners pray,
All lands to thee shall lift their eyes
And islands of the northern sea.
3 Against my will my sins prevail,
But grace shall purge away their stain;
The blood of Christ will never fail
To wash my garments white again.
4 Blest is the man whom thou shalt choose,
And give him kind access to thee,
Give him a place within thy house,
To taste thy love divinely free.
PAUSE.
5 Let Babel fear when Sion prays;
Babel, prepare for long distress
When Sion's God himself arrays
In terror, and in righteousness.
6 With dreadful glory God fulfils
What his afflicted saints request;
And with almighty wrath reveals
His love to give his churches rest.
7 Then shall the flocking nations run
To Sion's hill, and own their Lord;
The rising and the setting sun
Shall see their Saviour's name ador'd.
Psalm 65:2. 5-13. Second Part. L. M.
Divine providence in air, earth, and sea;
or, The God of nature and grace.
1 The God of our salvation hears
The groans of Sion mix'd with tears;
Yet when he comes with kind designs,
Thro' all the way his terror shines.
2 On him the race of man depends,
Far as the earth's remotest ends,
Where the Creator's Name is known
By nature's feeble light alone.
3 Sailors, that travel o'er the flood,
Address their frighted souls to God;
When tempests rage and billows roar
At dreadful distance from the shore.
4 He bids the noisy tempest cease;
He calms the raging crowd to peace,
When a tumultuous nation raves
Wild as the winds, and loud as waves.
5 Whole kingdoms shaken by the storm
He settles in a peaceful form;
Mountains establish'd by his hand,
Firm on their old foundations stand.
6 Behold his ensigns sweep the sky,
New comets blaze and lightnings fly,
The heathen lands, with swift surprise,
From the bright horrors turn their eyes.
7 At his command the morning-ray
Smiles in the east, and leads the day;
He guides the sun's declining wheels
Over the tops of western hills.
8 Seasons and times obey his voice;
The evening and the morn rejoice
To see the earth made soft with showers,
Laden with fruit and drest in flowers.
9 'Tis from his watery stores on high
He gives the thirsty ground supply;
He walks upon the clouds, and thence
Doth his enriching drops dispense.
10 The desert grows a fruitful field,
Abundant food the vallies yield;
The vallies shout with cheerful voice,
And neighb'ring hills repeat their joys.
11 The pastures smile in green array;
There lambs and larger cattle play;
The larger cattle and the lamb
Each in his language speaks thy Name.
12 Thy works pronounce thy power divine,
O'er every field thy glories shine;
Thro' every month thy gifts appear;
Great God! thy goodness crowns the year.
Psalm 65:3. First Part. C. M.
A prayer-hearing God, and the Gentiles called.
1 Praise waits in Sion, Lord, for thee;
There shall our vows be paid:
Thou hast an ear when sinners pray,
All flesh shall seek thine aid.
2 Lord, our iniquities prevail,
But pardoning grace is thine,
And thou wilt grant us power and skill
To conquer every sin.
3 Bless'd are the men whom thou wilt choose
To bring them near thy face,
Give them a dwelling in thine house
To feast upon thy grace.
4 In answering what thy church requests
Thy truth and terror shine,
And works of dreadful righteousness
Fulfil thy kind design.
5 Thus shall the wondering nations see
The Lord is good and just;
And distant islands fly to thee,
And make thy Name their trust.
6 They dread thy glittering tokens, Lord,
When signs in heaven appear;
But they shall learn thy holy word,
And love as well as fear.
Psalm 65:4. Second Part. C. M.
The providence of God in air, earth,
and sea; or, The blessing of rain.
1 'Tis by thy strength the mountains stand,
God of eternal power;
The sea grows calm at thy command,
And tempests cease to roar.
2 Thy morning light and evening shade
Successive comforts bring;
Thy plenteous fruits make harvest glad,
Thy flowers adorn the spring.
3 Seasons and times, and moons and hours,
Heaven, earth, and air are thine;
When clouds distil in fruitful showers,
The author is divine.
4 Those wandering cisterns in the sky,
Borne by the winds around,
With watery treasures well supply
The furrows of the ground.
5 The thirsty ridges drink their fill,
And ranks of corn appear;
Thy ways abound with blessings still,
Thy goodness crowns the year.
Psalm 65:5. Third Part. C. M.
The blessing: of the spring; or, God gives
rain. A psalm for the husbandman.
1 Good is the Lord, the heavenly King,
Who makes the earth his care,
Visits the pastures every spring,
And bids the grass appear.
2 The clouds, like rivers rais'd on high,
Pour out, at thy command,
Their watery blessings from the sky,
To cheer the thirsty land.
3 The soften'd ridges of the field
Permit the corn to spring;
The vallies rich provision yield,
And the poor labourers sing.
4 The little hills on every side
Rejoice at falling showers;
The meadows, drest in all their pride,
Perfume the air with flowers.
5 The barren clods, refresh'd with rain,
Promise a joyful crop;
The parching grounds look green again,
And raise the reaper's hope.
6 The various months thy goodness crowns;
How bounteous are thy ways;
The bleating flocks spread o'er the downs,
And shepherds shout thy praise.
Psalm 66:1. First Part.
Governing power and goodness;
or, Our graces tried by afflictions.
1 Sing, all ye nations, to the Lord,
Sing with a joyful noise;
With melody of sound record
His honours, and your joys.
2 Say to the power that shakes the sky,
"How terrible art thou!
"Sinners before thy presence fly,
"Or at thy feet they bow."
3 [Come, see the wonders of our God,
How glorious are his ways:
In Moses' hand he puts his rod,
And cleaves the frighted seas.
4 He made the ebbing channel dry,
While Israel pass'd the flood;
There did the church begin their joy,
And triumph in their God.]
5 He rules by his resistless might:
Will rebel mortals dare
Provoke th' Eternal to the fight,
And tempt that dreadful war?
6 O bless our God and never cease;
Ye saints, fulfil his praise;
He keeps our life, maintains our peace,
And guides our doubtful ways.
7 Lord, thou hast prov'd our suffering souls,
To make our graces shine;
So silver bears the burning coals
The metal to refine.
8 Thro' watery deeps and fiery ways
We march at thy command,
Led to possess the promis'd place
By thine unerring hand.
Psalm 66:2. 13-20. Second Part.
Praise to God for hearing prayer.
1 Now shall my solemn vows be paid
To that Almighty power,
That heard the long requests I made
In my distressful hour.
2 My lips and cheerful heart prepare
To make his mercies known;
Come, ye that fear my God, and hear
The wonders he has done.
3 When on my head huge sorrows fell,
I sought his heavenly aid,
He sav'd my sinking soul from hell,
And death's eternal shade.
4 If sin lay cover'd in my heart,
While prayer employ'd my tongue,
The Lord had shewn me no regard,
Nor I his praises sung.
5 But God, (his Name be ever blest)
Hath set my spirit free,
Nor turn'd from him my poor request,
Nor turn'd his heart from me.
Psalm 67.
The nation's prosperity and the church's increase.
1 Shine, mighty God, on Britain shine
With beams of heavenly grace;
Reveal thy power thro' all our coasts,
And shew thy smiling face.
2 [Amidst our isle, exalted high,
Do thou our glory stand,
And like a wall of guardian fire
Surround the favourite land.]
3 When shall thy Name, from shore to shore,
Sound all the earth abroad,
And distant nations know and love
Their Saviour and their God?
4 Sing to the Lord, ye distant lands,
Sing loud with solemn voice;
While British tongues exalt his praise,
And British hearts rejoice.
5 He the great Lord, the sovereign Judge,
That sits enthron'd above,
Wisely commands the worlds he made
In justice and in love.
6 Earth shall obey her Maker's will,
And yield a full increase;
Our God will crown his chosen isle
With fruitfulness and peace.
7 God the Redeemer scatters round
His choicest favours here,
While the creation's utmost bound
Shall see, adore, and fear.
Psalm 68:1. 1-6 32-35. First Part.
The vengeance and compassion of God.
1 Let God arise in all his might,
And put the troops of hell to flight,
As smoke that sought to cloud the skies
Before the rising tempest flies.
2 [He comes array'd in burning flames;
Justice and vengeance are his names:
Behold his fainting foes expire
Like melting wax before the fire.]
3 He rides and thunders thro' the sky;
His name Jehovah sounds on high:
Sing to his Name, ye sons of grace;
Ye saints, rejoice before his face.
4 The widow and the fatherless
Fly to his aid in sharp distress;
In him the poor and helpless find
A Judge that's just, a Father kind.
5 He breaks the captive's heavy chain,
And prisoners see the light again;
But rebels that dispute his will,
Shall dwell in chains and darkness still.
PAUSE.
6 Kingdoms and thrones to God belong;
Crown him, ye nations, in your song;
His wondrous names and powers rehearse;
His honours shall enrich your verse.
7 He shakes the heavens with loud alarms;
How terrible is God in arms!
In Israel are his mercies known,
Israel is his peculiar throne.
8 Proclaim him King, pronounce him blest!
He's your defence, your joy, your rest:
When terrors rise and nations faint,
God is the strength of every saint.
Psalm 68:2. 17 18. Second Part.
Christ's ascension, and the gift of the Spirit.
1 Lord, when thou didst ascend on high,
Ten thousand angels fill'd the sky;
Those heavenly guards around thee wait,
Like chariots that attend thy state.
2 Not Sinai's mountain could appear
More glorious when the Lord was there;
While he pronounc'd his dreadful law,
And struck the chosen tribes with awe.
3 How bright the triumph none can tell,
When the rebellious powers of hell
That thousand souls had captive made,
Were all in chains like captives led.
4 Rais'd by his Father to the throne,
He sent the promis'd Spirit down,
With gifts and grace for rebel men,
That God might dwell on earth again.
Psalm 68:3. 19 9 20-2. Third Part.
Praise for temporal blessings; or,
Common and special mercies.
1 We bless the Lord, the just, the good,
Who fills our hearts with joy and food;
Who pours his blessings from the skies,
And loads our days with rich supplies.
2 He sends the sun his circuit round,
To cheer the fruits, to warm the ground;
He bids the clouds with plenteous rain
Refresh the thirsty earth again.
3 'Tis to his care we owe our breath,
And all our near escapes from death;
Safety and health to God belong;
He heals the weak, and guards the strong.
4 He makes the saint and sinner prove
The common blessings of his love;
But the wide difference that remains,
Is endless joy, or endless pains.
5 The Lord, that bruis'd the serpent's head,
On all the serpent's seed shall tread;
The stubborn sinner's hope confound,
And smite him with a lasting wound.
6 But his right hand his saints shall raise
From the deep earth, or deeper seas,
And bring them to his courts above,
There shall they taste his special love.
Psalm 69:1. 1-14. First Part. C. M.
The sufferings of Christ for our salvation.
1 "Save me, O God, the swelling floods
"Break in upon my soul:
"I sink, and sorrows o'er my head
"Like mighty waters roll.
2 "I cry till all my voice be gone,
"In tears I waste the day:
"My God behold my longing eyes,
"And shorten thy delay.
3 "They hate my soul without a cause,
"And still their number grows
"More than the hairs around my head,
"And mighty are my foes.
4 "'Twas then I paid that dreadful debt
"That men could never pay,
"And gave those honours to thy law
"Which sinners took away."
5 Thus in the great Messiah's name,
The royal prophet mourns;
Thus he awakes our hearts to grief,
And gives us joy by turns.
6 "Now shall the saints rejoice and find
"Salvation in my Name:
"For I have borne their heavy load
Of sorrow, pain, and shame.
7 "Grief, like a garment, cloth'd me round,
"And sackcloth was my dress,
"While I procur'd for naked souls
"A robe of righteousness.
8 "Amongst my brethren and the Jews
"I like a stranger stood,
"And bore their vile reproach to bring
"The Gentiles near to God.
9 "I came in sinful mortals' stead,
"To do my Father's will;
"Yet when I cleans'd my father's house
"They scandaliz'd my zeal.
10 "My fasting and my holy groans
"Were made the drunkard's song;
"But God, from his celestial throne,
"Heard my complaining tongue.
11 "He sav'd me from the dreadful deep,
"Nor let my soul be drown'd;
"He rais'd and fix'd my sinking feet
"On well establish'd ground.
12 "'Twas in a most accepted hour
"My prayer arose on high,
"And for my sake my God shall hear
"The dying sinner's cry."
Psalm 69:2. 14-21 26 29 32. 2d Part. C. M.
The passion and exaltation of Christ.
1 Now let our lips with holy fear
And mournful pleasure sing
The sufferings of our great High-Priest,
The sorrows of our King.
2 He sinks in floods of deep distress:
How high the waters rise!
While to his heavenly Father's ear
He sends perpetual cries.
3 "Hear me, O Lord, and save thy Son,
"Nor hide thy shining face;
"Why should thy favorite look like one
"Forsaken of thy grace?
4 "With rage they persecute the man
"That groans beneath thy wound,
"While for a sacrifice I pour
"My life upon the ground.
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