The Psalms of David
by
Isaac Watts
Part 5 out of 7
7 Then shall I see, and hear, and know,
All I desir'd or wish'd below;
And every power find sweet employ
In that eternal world of joy.
Psalm 92:2. 12 &c. Second Part.
The church is the garden of God.
1 Lord, 'tis a pleasant thing to stand
In gardens planted by thine hand;
Let me within thy courts be seen
Like a young cedar fresh and green.
2 There grow thy saints in faith and love,
Blest with thine influence from above;
Not Lebanon with all its trees
Yields such a comely sight as these.
3 The plants of grace shall ever live;
(Nature decays but grace must thrive)
Time, that doth all things else impair,
Still makes them flourish strong and fair.
4 Laden with fruits of age, they shew
The Lord is holy, just, and true;
None that attend his gates shall find
A God unfaithful or unkind.
Psalm 93:1. 1st Metre. As 100th Psalm.
The eternal and sovereign God.
1 Jehovah reigns; he dwells in light,
Girded with majesty and might:
The world created by his hands
Still on its first foundation stands.
2 But ere this spacious world was made,
Or had its first foundations laid,
Thy throne eternal ages stood,
Thyself the ever-living God.
3 Like floods the angry nations rise
And aim their rage against the skies;
Vain floods that aim their rage so high!
At thy rebuke the billows die.
4 For ever shall thy throne endure;
Thy promise stands for ever sure;
And everlasting holiness
Becomes the dwellings of thy grace.
Psalm 93:2. 2d M. As the old 50th Psalm.
The same.
1 The Lord of glory reigns; he reigns on high;
His robes of state are strength and majesty:
This wide creation rose at his command,
Built by his word, and 'stablish'd by his hand:
Long stood his throne ere he began creation,
And his own Godhead is the firm foundation.
2 God is th' eternal King: thy foes in vain
Raise their rebellions to confound thy reign:
In vain the storms, in vain the floods arise,
And roar and toss their waves against the skies;
Foaming at heaven, they rage with wild commotion,
But heaven's high arches scorn the swelling ocean.
3 Ye tempests, rage no more; ye floods, be still;
And the mad world submissive to his will:
Built on his truth, his church must ever stand;
Firm are his promises, and strong his hand:
See his own sons, when they appear before him,
Bow at his footstool, and with fear adore him.
Psalm 93:3. 3d M. As the old 122d Psalm.
The same.
1 The Lord Jehovah reigns
And royal state maintains,
His head with awful glories crown'd;
Array'd in robes of light,
Begirt with sovereign might,
And rays of majesty around.
2 Upheld by thy commands
The world securely stands;
And skies and stars obey thy word:
Thy throne was fix'd on high
Before the starry sky;
Eternal is thy kingdom, Lord.
3 In vain the noisy crowd,
Like billows fierce and loud,
Against thine empire rage and roar;
In vain, with angry spite,
The surly nations fight,
And dash like waves against the shore.
4 Let floods and nations rage,
And all their powers engage,
Let swelling tides assault the sky;
The terrors of thy frown
Shall beat their madness down;
Thy throne for ever stands on high.
5 Thy promises are true,
Thy grace is ever new;
There fix'd thy church shall ne'er remove:
Thy saints with holy fear
Shall in thy courts appear,
And sing thine everlasting love.
Repeat the fourth stanza to complete the old tune.
Psalm 94:1. 1 2 7-14. First Part.
Saints chastised, and sinners destroyed;
or, Instructive afflictions.
1 God, to whom revenge belongs,
Proclaim thy truth aloud
Let Sovereign Power redress our wrongs,
Let justice smite the proud.
2 They say, "The Lord nor sees nor hears;"
When will the fools be wise!
Can he be deaf who form'd their ears?
Or blind, who made their eyes?
3 He knows their impious thoughts are vain,
And they shall feel his power;
His wrath shall pierce their souls with pain
In some surprising hour.
4 But if thy saints deserve rebuke,
Thou hast a gentler rod;
Thy providences and thy book
Shall make them know their God.
5 Blest is the man thy hands chastise,
And to his duty draw;
Thy scourges make thy children wise
When they forget thy law.
6 But God will ne'er cast off his saints,
Nor his own promise break;
He pardons his inheritance
For their Redeemer's sake.
Psalm 94:2. 16-23. Second Part.
God our support and comfort; or, Deliverance
from temptation and persecution.
1 Who will arise and plead my right
Against my numerous foes,
While earth and hell their force unite,
And all my hopes oppose?
2 Had not the Lord, my rock, my help,
Sustain'd my fainting head,
My life had now in silence dwelt,
My soul amongst the dead.
3 "Alas! my sliding feet," I cry'd;
Thy promise was my prop;
Thy grace stood constant by my side,
Thy Spirit bore me up.
4 While multitudes of mournful thoughts
Within my bosom roll,
Thy boundless love forgives my faults,
Thy comforts cheer my soul.
5 Powers of iniquity may rise,
And frame pernicious laws;
But God, my refuge, rules the skies,
He will defend my cause.
6 Let malice vent her rage aloud,
Let bold blasphemers scoff;
The Lord our God shall judge the proud,
And cut the sinners off.
Psalm 95:1. C. M.
A psalm before prayer.
1 Sing to the Lord Jehovah's Name,
And in his strength rejoice;
When his salvation is our theme,
Exalted be our voice.
2 With thanks approach his awful sight,
And psalms of honour sing;
The Lord's a God of boundless might,
The whole creation's King.
3 Let princes hear, let angels know,
How mean their natures seem,
Those gods on high, and gods below,
When once compar'd with him.
4 Earth with its caverns dark and deep
Lies in his spacious hand,
He fix'd the seas what bounds to keep,
And where the hills must stand.
5 Come, and with humble souls adore,
Come, kneel before his face;
O may the creatures of his power
Be children of his grace!
6 Now is the time: he bends his ear,
And waits for your request;
Come, lest he rouse his wrath and swear
"Ye shall not see my rest."
Psalm 95:2. S. M.
A psalm before sermon.
1 Come, sound his praise abroad,
And hymns of glory sing;
Jehovah is the sovereign God,
The universal King.
He form'd the deeps unknown;
He gave the seas their bound;
The watery worlds are all his own,
And all the solid ground.
3 Come, worship at his throne,
Come bow before the Lord:
We are his works and not our own;
He form'd us by his word.
4 To-day attend his voice,
Nor dare provoke his rod;
Come like the people of his choice,
And own your gracious God.
5 But if your ears refuse
The language of his grace,
And hearts grow hard, like stubborn Jews,
That unbelieving race;
6 The Lord in vengeance drest
Will lift his hand and swear,
"You that despise my promis'd rest,
"Shall have no portion there."
Psalm 95:3. 1 2 3 6-11. L. M.
Canaan lost through unbelief; or,
A warning to delaying sinners.
1 Come, let our voices join to raise
A sacred song of solemn praise;
God is a sovereign King; rehearse
his honours in exalted verse.
2 Come, let our souls address the Lord,
Who fram'd our natures with his word;
He is our Shepherd; we the sheep
His mercy chose, his pastures keep.
3 Come, let us hear his voice to-day,
The counsels of his love obey;
Nor let our harden'd hearts renew
The sins and plagues that Israel knew.
4 Israel, that saw his works of grace,
Yet tempt their Maker to his face;
A faithless unbelieving brood
That tir'd the patience of their God.
5 Thus saith the Lord, "how false they prove;
"Forget my power, abuse my love;
"Since they despise my rest, I swear,
"Their feet shall never enter there."
6 [Look back my soul, with holy dread,
And view those ancient rebels dead;
Attend the offer'd grace to-day,
Nor lose the blessing by delay.
7 Seize the kind promise while it waits,
And march to Zion's heavenly gates;
Believe, and take the promis'd rest;
Obey, and be for ever blest.]
Psalm 96:1. 1-10. &c. C. M.
Christ's first and second coming.
1 Sing to the Lord, ye distant lands,
Ye tribes of every tongue;
His new discover'd grace demands
A new and nobler song.
2 Say to the nations, Jesus reigns,
God's own almighty Son;
His power the sinking world sustains,
And grace surrounds his throne.
3 Let heaven proclaim the joyful day,
Joy thro' the earth be seen;
Let cities shine in bright array,
And fields in cheerful green.
4 Let an unusual joy surprise
The islands of the sea;
Ye mountains, sink, ye vallies, rise,
Prepare the Lord his way.
5 Behold he comes, he comes to bless
The nations as their God;
To shew the world his righteousness,
And send his truth abroad.
6 But when his voice shall raise the dead,
And bid the world draw near,
How will the guilty nations dread
To see their Judge appear!
Psalm 96:2. As the 113th Psalm.
The God of the Gentiles.
1 Let all the earth their voices raise
To sing the choicest psalm of praise,
To sing and bless Jehovah's name:
His glory let the heathens know,
His wonders to the nations show,
And all his saving works proclaim.
2 The heathens know thy glory, Lord;
The wondering nations read thy word,
In Britain is Jehovah known:
Our worship shall no more be paid
To gods which mortal hands have made;
Our Maker is our God alone.
3 He fram'd the globe, he built the sky,
He made the shining worlds on high,
And reigns complete in glory there:
His beams are majesty and light;
His beauties how divinely bright!
His temple how divinely fair!
4 Come the great day, the glorious hour,
When earth shall feel his saving power,
And barbarous nations fear his name;
Then shall the race of man confess
The beauty of his holiness,
And in his courts his grace proclaim.
Psalm 97:1. 1-5. First Part.
Christ reigning in heaven, and coming to judgment.
1 He reigns; the Lord, the Saviour reigns;
Praise him in evangelic strains;
Let the whole earth in songs rejoice,
And distant islands join their voice.
2 Deep are his counsels and unknown;
But grace and truth support his throne:
Tho' gloomy clouds his ways surround,
Justice is their eternal ground.
3 In robes of judgment, lo! he comes,
Shakes the wide earth, and cleaves the tombs;
Before him burns devouring fire,
The mountains melt, the seas retire.
4 His enemies, with sore dismay,
Fly from the sight, and shun the day;
Then lift your heads, ye saints, on high,
And sing, for your redemption's nigh.
Psalm 97:2. 6-9. Second Part.
Christ's incarnation.
1 The Lord is come, the heavens proclaim
His birth; the nations learn his Name;
An unknown star directs the road
Of eastern sages to their God.
2 All ye bright armies of the skies,
Go, worship where the Saviour lies:
Angels and kings before him bow,
Those gods on high, and gods below.
3 Let idols totter to the ground,
And their own worshippers confound;
But Judah shout, but Zion sing,
And earth confess her sovereign King.
Psalm 97:3. Third Part.
Grace and glory.
1 Th' Almighty reigns exalted high
O'er all the earth, o'er all the sky,
Tho' clouds and darkness veil his feet,
His dwelling is the mercy-seat.
2 O ye that love his holy Name,
Hate every work of sin and shame;
He guards the souls of all his friends,
And from the snares of hell defends.
3 Immortal light and joys unknown
Are for the saints in darkness sown;
Those glorious seeds shall spring and rise,
And the bright harvest bless our eyes.
4 Rejoice, ye righteous, and record
The sacred honours of the Lord;
None but the soul that feels his grace
Can triumph in his holiness.
Psalm 97:4. 1 3 5-7 11. C. M.
Christ's incarnation, and the last judgment.
1 Ye islands of the northern sea,
Rejoice, the Saviour reigns;
His word like fire, prepares his way,
And mountains melt to plains.
2 His presence sinks the proudest hills,
And makes the vallies rise
The humble soul enjoys his smiles,
The haughty sinner dies.
3 The heavens his rightful power proclaim
The idol-gods around
Fill their own worshippers with shame,
And totter to the ground.
4 Adoring angels at his birth
Make the Redeemer known;
Thus shall he come to judge the earth,
And angels guard his throne.
5 His foes shall tremble at his sight,
And hills and seas retire
His children take their unknown flight,
And leave the world in fire.
6 The seeds of joy and glory sown
For saints in darkness here
Shall rise and spring in worlds unknown,
And a rich harvest bear.
Psalm 98:1. First Part.
Praise for the gospel.
1 To our almighty Maker, God,
New honours be address'd;
his great salvation shines abroad,
And makes the nations blest.
2 He spake the word to Abraham first,
His truth fulfils the grace:
The Gentiles make his Name their trust,
And learn his righteousness.
3 Let the whole earth his love proclaim
With all her different tongues;
And spread the honours of his Name
In melody and songs.
Psalm 98:2. Second Part.
The Messiah's coming and kingdom.
1 Joy to the world; the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare him room,
And heaven and nature sing.
2 Joy to the earth, the Saviour reigns;
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains,
Repeat the sounding joy.
3 No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make his blessings flow
Far as the curse is found.
4 He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of his righteousness,
And wonders of his love.
Psalm 99:1. First Part.
Christ's kingdom and majesty.
1 The God Jehovah reigns,
Let all the nations fear,
Let sinners tremble at his throne,
And saints be humble there.
2 Jesus the Saviour reigns,
Let earth adore its Lord;
Bright cherubs his attendants stand,
Swift to fulfil his word.
3 In Zion is his throne,
His honours are divine;
His church shall make his wonders known,
For there his glories shine.
4 How holy is his Name!
How terrible his praise!
Justice, and truth, and judgment join
In all his works of grace.
Psalm 99:2. Second Part.
A holy God worshipped with reverence.
1 Exalt the Lord our God,
And worship at his feet;
His nature is all holiness,
And mercy is his seat.
2 When Israel was his church,
When Aaron was his priest,
When Moses cry'd, when Samuel pray'd,
He gave his people rest.
3 Oft he forgave their sins,
Nor would destroy their race;
And oft he made his vengeance known,
When they abus'd his grace.
4 Exalt the Lord our God,
Whose grace is still time same;
Still he's a God of holiness,
And jealous for his Name.
Psalm 100:1. 1st M. A plain translation.
Praise to our Creator.
1 Ye nations round the earth rejoice
Before the Lord, your sovereign King;
Serve him with cheerful heart and voice,
With all your tongues his glory sing.
2 The Lord is God; 'tis he alone
Doth life, and breath, and being give:
We are his work, and not our own;
The sheep that on his pastures live.
3 Enter his gates with songs of joy,
With praises to his courts repair,
And make it your divine employ
To pay your thanks and honours there.
4 The Lord is good, the Lord is kind;
Great is his grace, his mercy sure;
And the whole race of man shall find
His truth from age to age endure.
Psalm 100:2. 2d M. A Paraphrase.
1 Sing to the Lord with joyful voice;
Let every land his name adore;
The British isles shall send the noise
Across the ocean to the shore.
2 Nations, attend before his throne
With solemn fear, with sacred joy;
Know that the Lord is God alone;
He can create, and he destroy.
3 His sovereign power, without our aid,
Made us of clay, and form'd us men;
And when like wandering sheep we stray'd,
He brought us to his fold again.
4 We are his people, we his care,
Our souls and all our mortal frame:
What lasting honours shall we rear,
Almighty Maker, to thy Name!
5 We'll crowd thy gates with thankful songs,
High as the heavens our voices raise;
And earth with her ten thousand tongues
Shall fill thy courts with sounding praise.
6 Wide as the world is thy command,
Vast as eternity thy love;
Firm as a rock thy truth must stand
When rolling years shall cease to move.
Psalm 101:1. L. M.
The Magistrate's psalm.
1 Mercy and judgment are my song;
And since they both to thee belong,
My gracious God, my righteous King,
To thee my songs and vows I bring.
2 If I am rais'd to bear the sword,
I'll take my counsels from thy word;
Thy justice and thy heavenly grace
Shall be the pattern of my ways.
3 Let wisdom all my actions guide,
And let my God with me reside;
No wicked thing shall dwell with me,
Which may provoke thy jealousy.
4 No sons of slander, rage and strife
Shall be companions of my life;
The haughty look, the heart of pride
Within my doors shall ne'er abide.
5 [I'll search the land, and raise the just
To posts of honour, wealth and trust:
The men that work thy holy will,
Shall be my friends and favourites still.]
6 In vain shall sinners hope to rise
By flattering or malicious lies;
And while the innocent I guard,
The bold offender shan't be spar'd.
7 The impious crew (that factious band)
Shall hide their heads, or quit the land;
And all that break the public rest,
Where I have power shall be supprest.
Psalm 101:2. C. M.
A psalm for a master of a family.
1 Of justice and of grace I sing,
And pay my God my vows;
Thy grace and justice, heavenly King,
Teach me to rule my house.
2 Now to my tent, O God, repair,
And make thy servant wise;
I'll suffer nothing near me there
That shall offend thine eyes.
3 The man that doth his neighbour wrong,
By falsehood or by force;
The scornful eye, the slanderous tongue,
I'll thrust them from my doors.
4 I'll seek the faithful and the just
And will their help enjoy;
These are the friends that I shall trust,
The servants I'll employ.
5 The wretch that deals in sly deceit,
I'll not endure a night;
The liar's tongue I ever hate,
And banish from my sight.
6 I'll purge my family around,
And make the wicked flee;
So shall my house be ever found
A dwelling fit for thee.
Psalm 102:1. 1-13 20 21. First Part.
A prayer of the afflicted.
1 Hear me, O God, nor hide thy face,
But answer lest I die;
Hast thou not built a throne of grace
To hear when sinners cry?
2 My days are wasted like the smoke
Dissolving in the air;
My strength is dry'd, my heart is broke,
And sinking in despair.
3 My spirits flag like withering grass
Burnt with excessive heat;
In secret groans my minutes pass,
And I forget to eat.
4 As on some lonely building's top
The sparrow tells her moan,
Far from the tents of joy and hope
I sit and grieve alone.
5 My soul is like a wilderness,
Where beasts of midnight howl;
There the sad raven finds her place,
And there the screaming owl.
6 Dark dismal thoughts and boding fears
Dwell in my troubled breast;
While sharp reproaches wound my ears,
Nor give my spirit rest.
7 My cup is mingled with my woes,
And tears are my repast;
My daily bread like ashes grows
Unpleasant to my taste.
8 Sense can afford no real joy
To souls that feel thy frown;
Lord, 'twas thy hand advanc'd me high,
Thy hand hath cast me down.
9 My looks like wither'd leaves appear,
And life's declining light
Grows faint as evening shadows are,
That vanish into night.
10 But thou for ever art the same,
O my eternal God:
Ages to come shall know thy Name,
And spread thy works abroad.
11 Thou wilt arise and shew thy face,
Nor will my Lord delay
Beyond th' appointed hour of grace,
That long expected day.
12 He hears his saints, he knows their cry,
And by mysterious ways
Redeems the prisoners doom'd to die,
And fills their tongues with praise.
Psalm 102:2. 13-21. Second Part.
Prayer heard and Zion restored.
1 Let Zion and her sons rejoice,
Behold the promis'd hour;
Her God hath heard her mourning voice,
And comes t' exalt his power.
2 Her dust and ruins that remain
Are precious in our eyes;
Those ruins shall be built again,
And all that dust shall rise.
3 The Lord will raise Jerusalem,
And stand in glory there;
Nations shall bow before has name,
And kings attend with fear.
4 He sits a sovereign on his throne,
With pity in his eyes;
He hears the dying prisoners groan,
And sees their sighs arise.
5 He frees the souls condemn'd to death,
And when his saints complain,
It shan't be said 'That praying breath
'Was ever spent in vain.'
6 This shall be known when we are dead,
And left on long record,
That ages yet unborn may read,
And trust, and praise the Lord.
Psalm 102:3. 25-28. Third Part.
Man's mortality and Christ's eternity; or,
Saints die, but Christ and the church live.
1 It is the Lord our Saviour's hand
Weakens our strength amidst the race;
Disease and death at his command
Arrest us, and cut short our days.
2 Spare us, O Lord, aloud we pray,
Nor let our sun go down at noon:
Thy years are one eternal day,
And must thy children die so soon?
3 Yet in the midst of death and grief
This thought our sorrow shall assuage,
"Our Father and our Saviour live;
"Christ is the same thro' every age."
4 'Twas he this earth's foundation laid;
Heaven is the building of his hand:
This earth grows old, these heavens shall fade,
And all be chang'd at his command.
5 The starry curtains of the sky
Like garments shall be laid aside;
But still thy throne stands firm and high;
Thy church for ever must abide.
6 Before thy face thy church shall live,
And on thy throne thy children reign;
This dying world shall they survive,
And the dead saints be rais'd again.
Psalm 103:1. 1-7. First Part. L. M.
Blessing God for his goodness to soul and body.
1 Bless, O my soul, the living God,
Call home thy thoughts that rove abroad;
Let all the powers within me join
In work and worship so divine.
2 Bless, O my soul, the God of grace;
His favours claim thy highest praise;
Why should the wonders he hath wrought
Be lost in silence and forgot?
3 'Tis he, my soul, that sent his Son
To die for crimes which thou hast done;
He owns the ransom; and forgives
The hourly follies of our lives.
4 The vices of the mind he heals,
And cures the pains that nature feels;
Redeems the soul from hell, and saves
Our wasting life from threat'ning graves.
5 Our youth decay'd his power repairs;
His mercy crowns our growing years;
He satisfies our mouth with good,
And fills our hopes with heavenly food.
6 He sees th' oppressor and th' opprest,
And often gives the sufferers rest;
But will his justice more display
In the last great rewarding day.
7 [His power he shew'd by Moses' hands,
And gave to Israel his commands;
But sent his truth and mercy down
To all the nations by his Son.
8 Let the whole earth his power confess,
Let the whole earth adore his grace;
The Gentile with the Jew shall join
In work and worship so divine.]
Psalm 103:2. 8-18. Second Part. L. M.
God's gentle chastisement; or,
His tender mercy to his people.
1. The Lord, how wondrous are his ways:
How firm his truth how large his grace;
He takes his mercy for his throne,
And thence he makes his glories known.
2 Not half so high his power hath spread
The starry heavens above our head,
As his rich love exceeds our praise,
Exceeds the highest hopes we raise.
3 Not half so far hath nature plac'd
The rising morning from the west,
As his forgiving grace removes
The daily guilt of those he loves.
4 How slowly doth his wrath arise!
On swifter wings salvation flies;
And if he lets his anger burn,
How soon his frowns to pity turn!
5 Amidst his wrath compassion shines;
His strokes are lighter than our sins;
And while his rod corrects his saints,
His ear indulges their complaints.
6 So fathers their young sons chastise,
With gentle hand and melting eyes;
The children weep beneath the smart,
And move the pity of their heart.
PAUSE.
7 The mighty God, the wise, and just,
Knows that our frame is feeble dust;
And will no heavy loads impose
Beyond the strength that he bestows.
8 He knows how soon our nature dies,
Blasted by every wind that flies;
Like grass we spring, and die as soon,
Or morning flowers that fade at noon.
9 But his eternal love is sure
To all the saints, and shall endure:
From age to age his truth shall reign,
Nor children's children hope in vain.
Psalm 103:3. 1-7. First Part, S. M.
Praise for spiritual and temporal mercies.
1 O Bless the Lord, my soul;
Let all within me join,
And aid my tongue to bless his Name,
Whose favours are divine.
2 O bless the Lord, my soul;
Nor let his mercies lie
Forgotten in unthankfulness,
And without praises die.
3 'Tis he forgives thy sins,
'Tis he relieves thy pain,
'Tis he that heals thy sicknesses,
And makes thee young again.
4 He crowns thy life with love,
When ransom'd from the grave;
He that redeem'd my soul from hell
Hath sovereign power to save.
5 He fills the poor with good;
He gives the sufferers rest;
The Lord hath judgments for the proud,
And justice for th' opprest.
6 His wondrous works and ways
He made by Moses known;
But sent the world his truth and grace
By his beloved Son.
Psalm 103:4. 8-18. Second Part. S. M.
Abounding compassion of God; or,
Mercy in the midst of judgment.
1 My soul, repeat his praise
Whose mercies are so great,
Whose anger is so slow to rise,
So ready to abate.
2 God will not always chide;
And when his strokes are felt,
His strokes are fewer than our crimes,
And lighter than our guilt.
3 High as the heavens are rais'd
Above the ground we tread,
So far the riches of his grace
Our highest thoughts exceed.
4 His power subdues our sins;
And his forgiving love,
Far as the east is from the west,
Doth all our guilt remove.
5 The pity of the Lord
To those that fear his Name,
Is such as tender parents feel;
He knows our feeble frame.
6 He knows we are but dust,
Scatter'd with every breath;
His anger, like a rising wind,
Can send us swift to death.
7 Our days are as the grass,
Or like the morning flower;
If one sharp blast sweep o'er the field,
It withers in an hour.
8 But thy compassions, Lord,
To endless years endure;
And children's children ever find
Thy words of promise sure.
Psalm 103:5. 19-22. Third Part. S. M.
God's universal dominion;
or, Angels praise the Lord.
1 The lord, the sovereign King,
Hath fix'd his throne on high;
O'er all the heavenly world he rules,
And all beneath the sky.
2 Ye angels great in might,
And swift to do his will,
Bless ye the Lord, whose voice ye hear,
Whose pleasure ye fulfil.
3 Let the bright hosts who wait
The orders of their King,
And guard his churches when they pray,
Join in the praise they sing.
4 While all his wondrous works,
Thro' his vast kingdoms shew
Their Maker's glory, thou, my soul,
Shalt sing his graces too.
Psalm 104.
The glory of God in creation and providence.
1 My soul, thy great Creator praise;
When cloth'd in his celestial rays
He in full Majesty appears,
And, like a robe, his glory wears.
Note, This psalm may be sung to the tune of the old 112th or 127th
Psalm, by adding the two following lines to every stanza, viz.
Great is the Lord; what tongue can frame
An equal honour to his Name?
Otherwise it must be sung as the 100th psalm.
2 The heavens are for his curtains spread,
Th' unfathom'd deep he makes his bed;
Clouds are his chariot, when he flies
On winged storms across the skies.
3 Angels, whom his own breath inspires,
His ministers are flaming fires;
And swift as thought their armies move
To bear his vengeance, or his love.
4 The world's foundations by his hand
Are pois'd, and shall for ever stand;
He binds the ocean in his chain,
Lest it should drown the earth again.
5 When earth was cover'd with the flood,
Which high above the mountains stood,
He thunder'd, and the ocean fled,
Confin'd to its appointed bed.
6 The swelling billows know their bound,
And in their channels walk their round;
Yet thence convey'd by secret veins,
They spring on hills, and drench the plains.
7 He bids the crystal fountains flow,
And cheer the vallies as they go;
Tame heifers there their thirst allay,
And for the stream wild asses bray.
8 From pleasant trees which shade the brink
The lark and linnet light to drink;
Their songs the lark and linnet raise;
And chide our silence in his praise.
PAUSE I.
9 God from his cloudy cistern, pours
On the parch'd earth enriching showers;
The grove, the garden, and the field
A thousand joyful blessings yield.
10 He makes the grassy food arise,
And gives the cattle large supplies;
With herbs for man of various power,
To nourish nature, or to cure.
11 What noble fruit the vines produce!
The olive yields a shining juice;
Our hearts are cheer'd with gen'rous wine,
With inward joy our faces shine.
12 O bless his Name ye Britons, fed
With nature's chief supporter, bread;
While bread your vital strength imparts,
Serve him with vigour in your hearts.
PAUSE II.
13 Behold the stately cedar stands,
Rais'd in the forest by his hands:
Birds to the boughs for shelter fly
And build their nests secure on high.
14 To craggy hills ascends the goat;
And at the airy mountain's foot
The feebler creatures make their cell;
He gives them wisdom where to dwell.
15 He sets the sun his circling race,
Appoints the moon to change her face;
And when thick darkness veils the day,
Calls out wild beasts to hunt their prey.
16 Fierce lions lead their young abroad,
And roaring ask their meat from God;
But when the morning beams arise,
The savage beast to covert flies.
17 Then man to daily labour goes;
The night was made for his repose:
Sleep is thy gift; that sweet relief
From tiresome toil and wasting grief.
18 How strange thy works! how great thy skill!
And every land thy riches fill:
Thy wisdom round the world we see,
This spacious earth is full of thee.
19 Nor less thy glories in the deep,
Where fish in millions swim and creep,
With wondrous motions, swift or slow,
Still wandering in the paths below.
20 There ships divide their watery way,
And flocks of scaly monsters play;
There dwells the huge Leviathan,
And foams and sports in spite of man.
PAUSE III.
21 Vast are thy works, almighty Lord,
All nature rests upon thy word,
And the whole race of creatures stands,
Waiting their portion from thy hands.
22 While each receives his different food,
Their cheerful looks pronounce it good;
Eagles and bears, and whales and worms,
Rejoice and praise in different forms.
23 But when thy face is hid, they mourn,
And dying to their dust return;
Both man and beast their souls resign,
Life, breath, and spirit, all is thine.
24 Yet thou canst breathe on dust again,
And fill the world with beasts and men;
A word of thy creating breath
Repairs the wastes of time and death.
25 His works, the wonders of his might,
Are honour'd with his own delight:
How awful are his glorious ways!
The Lord is dreadful in his praise.
26 The earth stands trembling at thy stroke,
And at thy touch the mountains smoke;
Yet humble souls may see thy face,
And tell their wants to sovereign grace.
27 In thee my hopes and wishes meet,
And make my meditations sweet:
Thy praises shall my breath employ,
Till it expire in endless joy.
28 While haughty sinners die accurst,
Their glory bury'd with their dust,
I, to my God, my heavenly King,
Immortal hallelujahs sing.
Psalm 105. Abridged.
God's conduct of Israel, and the plagues of Egypt.
1 Give thanks to God, invoke his Name,
And tell the world his grace;
Sound thro' the earth his deeds of fame,
That all may seek his face.
2 His covenant, which he kept in mind
For numerous ages past,
To numerous ages yet behind,
In equal force shall last.
3 He sware to Abraham and his seed,
And made the blessing sure:
Gentiles the ancient promise read,
And find his truths endure.
4 "Thy seed shall make all nations blest,"
(Said the Almighty voice)
"And Canaan's land shall be their rest,
"The type of heavenly joys."
5 [How large the grant! how rich the grace!
To give them Canaan's land,
When they were strangers in the place,
A little feeble band!
6 Like pilgrims thro' the countries round
Securely they remov'd;
And haughty kings that on them frown'd,
Severely he reprov'd.
7 "Touch mine anointed, and my arm
"Shall soon revenge the wrong:
"The man that does my prophets harm
Shall know their God is strong."
8 Then let the world forbear its rage,
Nor put the church in fear:
Israel must live thro' every age,
And be th' Almighty's care.]
PAUSE I.
9 When Pharaoh dar'd to vex the saints,
And thus provok'd their God,
Moses was sent at their complaints,
Arm'd with his dreadful rod.
10 He call'd for darkness; darkness came
Like an o'erwhelming flood;
He turn'd each lake and every stream
To lakes and streams of blood.
11 He gave the sign, and noisome flies
Thro' the whole country spread;
And frogs, in croaking armies, rise
About the monarch's bed.
12 Thro' fields, and towns, and palaces,
The tenfold vengeance flew;
Locusts in swarms devour'd their trees,
And hail their cattle slew.
13 Then by an angel's midnight stroke,
The flower of Egypt dy'd;
The strength of every house was broke,
Their glory and their pride.
14 Now let the world forbear its rage,
Nor put the church in fear;
Israel must live thro' every age,
And be th' Almighty's care.
PAUSE II.
15 Thus were the tribes from bondage brought,
And left the hated ground;
Each some Egyptian spoils had got,
And not one feeble found.
16 The Lord himself chose out their way,
And mark'd their journies right,
Gave them a leading cloud by day,
A fiery guide by night.
17 They thirst; and waters from the rock
In rich abundance flow,
And following still the course they took,
Ran all the desert thro'.
18 O wondrous stream O blessed type
Of ever-flowing grace!
So Christ our rock maintains our life
Thro' all this wilderness.
19 Thus guarded by th' Almighty hand
The chosen tribes possest
Canaan the rich, the promis'd land,
And there enjoy'd their rest.
20 Then let the world forbear its rage,
The church renounce her fear;
Israel must live thro' every age,
And be th' Almighty's care.
Psalm 106:1. 1-5. First Part.
Praise to God; or, Communion with saints.
1 To God, the great, the ever blest,
Let songs of honour be addrest:
His mercy firm for ever stands;
Give him the thanks his love demands.
2 Who knows the wonders of thy ways?
Who shall fulfil thy boundless praise?
Blest are the souls that fear thee still,
And pay their duty to thy will.
3 Remember what thy mercy did
For Jacob's race, thy chosen seed;
And with the same salvation bless
The meanest suppliant of thy grace.
4 O may I see thy tribes rejoice,
And aid their triumphs with my voice!
This is my glory, Lord, to be
Join'd to thy saints, and near to thee.
Psalm 106:2. 7 8 12-14 43-48. 2d Part.
Israel punished and pardoned;
or, God's unchangeable love.
1 God of eternal love,
How fickle are our ways!
And yet how oft did Israel prove
Thy constancy of grace!
2 They saw thy wonders wrought,
And then thy praise they sung;
But soon thy works of power forgot,
And murmur'd with their tongue.
3 Now they believe his word,
While rocks with rivers flow;
Now with their lusts provoke the Lord,
And he reduc'd them low.
4 Yet when they mourn'd their faults,
He hearken'd to their groans,
Brought his own covenant to his thoughts,
And call'd them still his sons.
5 Their names were in his book,
He sav'd them from their foes;
Oft he chastis'd, but ne'er forsook
The people that he chose.
6 Let Israel bless the Lord,
Who lov'd their ancient race;
And Christians join the solemn word
Amen, to all the praise.
Psalm 107:1. First Part.
Israel led to Canaan,
and Christians to Heaven.
1 Give thanks to God; he reigns above,
Kind are his thoughts, his Name is love;
His mercy ages past have known,
And ages long to come shall own.
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord
The wonders of his grace record;
Israel, the nation whom he chose,
And rescu'd from their mighty foes.
3 [When God's almighty arm had broke
Their fetters and th' Egyptian yoke,
They trac'd the desert, wandering round
A wild and solitary ground.
4 There they could find no leading road,
Nor city for a fix'd abode;
Nor food, nor fountain to assuage
Their burning thirst, or hunger's rage.]
5 In their distress to God they cry'd,
God was their Saviour and their Guide;
He led their march far wandering round,
'Twas the right path to Canaan's ground.
6 Thus when our first release we gain
From sin's old yoke, and Satan's chain,
We have this desert world to pass,
A dangerous and a tiresome place.
7 He feeds and clothes us all the way,
He guides our footsteps lest we stray,
He guards us with a powerful hand
And brings us to the heavenly land.
8 O let the saints with joy record
The truth and goodness of the Lord!
How great his works! how kind his ways!
Let every tongue pronounce his praise.
Psalm 107:2. Second Part.
Correction for sin, and release by prayer.
1 From age to age exalt his Name,
God and his grace are still the same;
He fills the hungry soul with food,
And feeds the poor with every good.
2 But if their hearts rebel and rise
Against the God that rules the skies,
If they reject his heavenly word,
And slight the counsels of the Lord,
3 He'll bring their spirits to the ground,
And no deliverer shall be found;
Laden with grief they waste their breath
In darkness and the shades of death,
4 Then to the Lord they raise their cries,
He makes the dawning light arise,
And scatters all that dismal shade,
That hung so heavy round their head.
5 He cuts the bars of brass in two,
And lets the smiling prisoners thro';
Takes off the load of guilt and grief,
And gives the labouring soul relief.
6 O may the sons of men record
The wondrous goodness of the Lord!
How great his works! how kind his ways!
Let every tongue pronounce his praise.
Psalm 107:3. Third Part.
Intemperance punished and pardoned; or,
A psalm for the glutton and the drunkard.
1 Vain man, on foolish pleasures bent,
Prepares for his own punishment;
What pains, what loathsome maladies
From luxury and lust arise!
2 The drunkard feels his vitals waste,
Yet drowns his health to please his taste;
Till all his active powers are lost,
And fainting life draws near the dust.
3 The glutton groans and loathes to eat,
His soul abhors delicious meat;
Nature, with heavy loads opprest,
Would yield to death to be releas'd.
4 Then how the frighted sinners fly
To God for help with earnest cry!
He hears their groans, prolongs their breath,
And saves them from approaching death,
5 No med'cines could effect the cure
So quick, so easy, or so sure:
The deadly sentence God repeals,
He sends his sovereign word, and heals,
6 O may the sons of men record
The wondrous goodness of the Lord!
And let their thankful offerings prove
How they adore their Maker's love.
Psalm 107:4. Fourth Part. L. M.
Deliverance from storms, and
shipwreck; or, The Seaman's song.
1 Would you behold the works of God,
His wonders in the world abroad,
Go with the mariners, and trace
The unknown regions of the seas.
2 They leave their native shores behind,
And seize the favour of the wind,
Till God command, and tempests rise
That heave the ocean to the skies.
3 Now to the heavens they mount amain,
Now sink to dreadful deeps again;
What strange affrights young sailors feel,
And like a staggering drunkard reel!
4 When land is far, and death is nigh,
Lost to all hope, to God they cry;
His mercy hears the loud address,
And sends salvation in distress.
5 He bids the winds their wrath assuage;
The furious waves forget their rage;
'Tis calm; and sailors smile to see
The haven where they wish'd to be.
6 O may the sons of men record
The wondrous goodness of the Lord!
Let them their private offerings bring,
And in the church his glory sing.
Psalm 107:5. Fourth Part. C. M.
The Mariner's psalm.
1 Thy works of glory, mighty Lord,
Thy wonders in the deeps,
The sons of courage shall record
Who trade in floating ships.
2 At thy command the winds arise,
And swell the towering waves;
The men astonish'd mount the skies
And sink in gaping graves.
3 [Again they climb the watery hills,
And plunge in deeps again;
Each like a tottering drunkard reels,
And finds his courage vain.
4 Frighted to hear the tempest roar,
They pant with fluttering breath,
And, hopeless of the distant shore,
Expect immediate death.]
5 Then to the Lord they raise their cries,
He hears the loud request,
And orders silence thro' the skies,
And lays the floods to rest.
6 Sailors rejoice to lose their fears,
And see the storm allay'd:
Now to their eyes the port appears;
There let their vows be paid.
7 'Tis God that brings them safe to land;
Let stupid mortals know
That waves are under his command,
And all the winds that blow,
8 O that the sons of men would praise
The goodness of the Lord!
And those that see thy wondrous ways,
Thy wondrous love record.
Psalm 107:6. Last Part.
Colonies planted; or,
Nations blest and punished.
A psalm for New England.
1 When God, provok'd with daring crimes,
Scourges the madness of the times,
He turns their fields to barren sand,
And dries the rivers from the land.
2 His word can raise the springs again,
And make the wither'd mountains green,
Send showery blessings from the skies,
And harvests in the desert rise.
3 [Where nothing dwelt but beasts of prey,
Or men as fierce and wild as they;
He bids th' opprest and poor repair,
And builds them towns and cities there.
4 They sow the fields, and trees they plant,
Whose yearly fruit supplies their want:
Their race grows up from fruitful stocks,
Their wealth increases with their flocks.
5 Thus they are blest; but if they sin,
He lets the heathen nations in,
A savage crew invades their lands,
Their princes die by barbarous hands.
6 Their captive sons, expos'd to scorn,
Wander unpity'd and forlorn;
The country lies unfenc'd, untill'd,
And desolation spreads the field.
7 Yet if the humbled nation mourns,
Again his dreadful hand he turns;
Again he makes their cities thrive,
And bids the dying churches live.]
8 The righteous, with a joyful sense,
Admire the works of providence;
And tongues of atheists shall no more
Blaspheme the God that saints adore.
9 How few, with pious care, record
The wondrous dealings of the Lord!
But wise observers still shall find
The Lord is holy, just, and kind.
Psalm 109. 1-5 31.
Love to enemies, from the example of Christ.
1 God of my mercy and my praise,
Thy glory is my song;
The sinners speak against thy grace
With a blaspheming tongue.
2 When in the form of mortal man
Thy Son on earth was found,
With cruel slanders, false and vain,
They compass'd him around.
3 Their miseries his compassion move,
Their peace he still pursu'd;
They render hatred for his love,
And evil for his good.
4 Their malice rag'd without a cause,
Yet, with his dying breath,
He pray'd for murderers on his cross,
And blest his foes in death.
5 Lord, shall thy bright example shine
In vain before my eyes?
Give me a soul a-kin to thine
To love mine enemies.
6 The Lord shall on my side engage,
And, in my Saviour's name,
I shall defeat their pride and rage
Who slander and condemn.
Psalm 110:1. First Part.
Christ exalted, and multitudes converted;
or, The success of the gospel.
1 Thus the eternal Father spake
To Christ the Son, "Ascend and sit
"At my right hand, till I shall make
"Thy foes submissive at thy feet.
2 "From Zion shall thy word proceed,
"Thy word, the sceptre in thy hand,
"Shall make the hearts of rebels bleed,
"And bow their wills to thy command.
3 "That day shall shew thy power is great,
"When saints shall flock with willing minds,
"And sinners crowd thy temple gate,
"Where holiness in beauty shines."
4 O blessed power! 0 glorious day!
What a large victory shall ensue!
And converts, who thy grace obey,
Exceed the drops of morning dew.
Psalm 110:2. Second Part.
The kingdom and priesthood of Christ.
1 Thus the great Lord of earth and sea
Spake to his Son, and thus he swore;
"Eternal shall thy priesthood be,
"And change from hand to hand no more.
2 "Aaron and all his sons must die;
"But everlasting life is thine,
"To save for ever those that fly
"For refuge from the wrath divine.
3 "By me Melchisedek was made
"On earth a king and priest at once;
"And thou, my heavenly priest, shalt plead,
"And thou, my king, shalt rule my sons."
4 Jesus the priest ascends his throne,
While counsels of eternal peace,
Between the Father and the Son,
Proceed with honour and success.
5 Thro' the whole earth his reign shall spread,
And crush the powers that dare rebel;
Then shall he judge the rising dead,
And send the guilty world to hell.
6 Tho' while he treads his glorious way,
He drink the cup of tears and blood,
The sufferings of that dreadful day
Shall but advance him near to God.
Psalm 110:3. C. M.
Christ's kingdom and priesthood.
1 Jesus, our Lord, ascend thy throne,
And near the Father sit;
In Zion shall thy power be known,
And make thy foes submit.
2 What wonders shall thy gospel do!
Thy converts shall surpass
The numerous drops of morning dew,
And own thy sovereign grace.
3 God hath pronounc'd a firm decree,
Nor changes what he swore;
"Eternal shall thy priesthood be,
"When Aaron is no more.
4 "Melchisedek, that wondrous priest,
"That king of high degree,
"That holy man who Abr'am blest,
"Was but a type of thee."
5 Jesus our priest for ever lives
To plead for us above;
Jesus our king for ever gives
The blessings of his love.
6 God shall exalt his glorious head,
And his high throne maintain,
Shall strike the powers and princes dead
Who dare oppose his reign.
Psalm 111:1. First Part.
The wisdom of God in his works.
1 Songs of immortal praise belong
To my almighty God;
He has my heart, and he my tongue
To spread his Name abroad.
2 How great the works his hand has wrought!
How glorious in our sight!
And men in every age have sought
His wonders with delight.
3 How most exact is nature's frame!
How wise th' Eternal mind!
His counsels never change the scheme
That his first thoughts design'd.
4 When he redeem'd his chosen Son,
He fix'd his covenant sure:
The orders that his lips pronounce
To endless years endure.
5 Nature and time, and earth and skies,
Thy heavenly skill proclaim:
What shall we do to make us wise,
But learn to read thy Name?
6 To fear thy power, to trust thy grace
Is our divinest skill;
And he's the wisest of our race,
That best obeys thy will.
Psalm 111:2. Second Part.
The perfections of God.
1 Great is the Lord; his works of might
Demand our noblest songs;
Let his assembled saints unite
Their harmony of tongues.
2 Great is the mercy of the Lord,
He gives his children food;
And ever mindful of his word,
He makes his promise good.
3 His Son, the great Redeemer, came
To seal his covenant sure:
Holy and reverend is his Name,
His ways are just and pure.
4 They that would grow divinely wise
Must with his fear begin;
Our fairest proof of knowledge lies
In hating every sin.
Psalm 112:1. As the 113th Psalm.
The blessings of the liberal man.
1 That man is blest who stands in awe
Of God, and loves his sacred law:
His seed on earth shall be renown'd;
His house the seat of wealth shall be,
An inexhausted treasury,
And with successive honours crown'd.
2 His liberal favours he extends,
To some he gives, to others lends;
A generous pity fills his mind:
Yet what his charity impairs
He saves by prudence in affairs,
And thus he's just to all mankind.
3 His hands, while they his alms bestow'd,
His glory's future harvest sow'd;
The sweet remembrance of the just,
Like a green root, revives and bears
A train of blessings for his heirs,
When dying nature sleeps in dust.
4 Beset with threatening dangers round,
Unmov'd shall he maintain his ground;
His conscience holds his courage up:
The soul that's fill'd with virtue's light,
Shines brightest in affliction's night,
And sees in darkness beams of hope.
PAUSE.
5 [Ill tidings never can surprise
His heart that fix'd on God relies,
Tho' waves and tempests roar around:
Safe on the rock he sits, and sees
The shipwreck of his enemies,
And all their hope and glory drown'd.
6 The wicked shall his triumph see,
And gnash their teeth in agony
To find their expectations crost:
They and their envy, pride and spite,
Sink down to everlasting night,
And all their names in darkness lost.]
Psalm 112:2. L. M.
The blessings of the pious and charitable.
1 Thrice happy man who fears the Lord,
Loves his commands, and trusts his word;
Honour and peace his days attend,
And blessings to his seed descend.
2 Compassion dwells upon his mind,
To works of mercy still inclin'd:
He lends the poor some present aid,
Or gives them, not to be repaid.
3 When times grow dark, and tidings spread
That fill his neighbours round with dread,
His heart is arm'd against the fear,
For God with all his power is there.
4 His soul, well fix'd upon the Lord,
Draws heavenly courage from his word;
Amidst the darkness light shall rise,
To cheer his heart, and bless his eyes.
5 He hath dispers'd his alms abroad,
His works are still before his God;
His name on earth shall long remain,
While envious sinners fret in vain.
Psalm 112:3. C. M,
Liberality rewarded.
1 Happy is he that fears the Lord,
And follows his commands,
Who lends the poor without reward,
Or gives with liberal hands.
2 As pity dwells within his breast
To all the sons of need;
So God shall answer his request
With blessings on his seed,
3 No evil tidings shall surprise
His well-establish'd mind;
His soul to God his refuge flies,
And leaves his fears behind.
4 In times of general distress,
Some beams of light shall shine
To shew the world his righteousness,
And give him peace divine.
5 His works of piety and love
Remain before the Lord;
Honour on earth and joys above
Shall be his sure reward.
Psalm 113:1. Proper Time.
The majesty and condescension of God.
1 Ye that delight to serve the Lord,
The honours of his Name record,
His sacred Name for ever bless:
Where'er the circling sun displays
His rising beams, or setting rays,
Let lands and seas his power confess.
2 Not time, nor nature's narrow rounds,
Can give his vast dominion bounds,
The heavens are far below his height:
Let no created greatness dare
With our eternal God compare,
Arm'd with his uncreated might.
3 He bows his glorious head to view
What the bright hosts of angels do,
And bends his care to mortal things;
His sovereign hand exalts the poor,
He takes the needy from the door,
And makes them company for kings.
4 When childless families despair,
He sends the blessings of an heir
To rescue their expiring name:
The mother with a thankful voice
Proclaims his praises and her joys:
Let every age advance his fame.
Psalm 113:2. L. M.
God sovereign and gracious.
1 Ye servants of th' Almighty King,
In every age his praises sing;
Where'er the sun shall rise or set,
The nations shall his praise repeat.
2 Above the earth, beyond the sky,
Stands his high throne of majesty:
Nor time, nor place, his power restrain,
Nor bound his universal reign.
3 Which of the sons of Adam dare,
Or angels, with their God compare?
His glories how divinely bright,
Who dwells in uncreated light!
4 Behold his love: he stoops to view
What saints above and angels do;
And condescends yet more to know
The mean affairs of men below.
5 From dust and cottages obscure
His grace exalts the humble poor;
Gives them the honour of his sons,
And fits them for their heavenly thrones.
6 [A word of his creating voice
Can make the barren house rejoice:
Tho' Sarah's ninety years were past,
The promis'd seed is born at last.
7 With joy the mother views her son,
And tells the wonders God has done:
Faith may grow strong when sense despairs,
If nature fails, the promise bears.]
Psalm 114.
Miracles attending Israel's journey.
1 When Israel, freed from Pharaoh's hand,
Left the proud tyrant and his land,
The tribes with cheerful homage own
Their King, and Judah was his throne.
2 Across the deep their journey lay;
The deep divides to make them way:
Jordan beheld their march, and fled
With backward current to his head.
3 The mountains shook like frighted sheep,
Like lambs the little hillocks leap;
Not Sinai on her base could stand,
Conscious of sovereign power at hand.
4 What power could make the deep divide?
Make Jordan backward roll his tide?
Why did ye leap, ye little hills?
And whence the fright that Sinai feels?
5 Let every mountain, every flood,
Retire and know th' approaching God,
The king of Israel: see him here;
Tremble, thou earth, adore and fear.
6 He thunders, and all nature mourns,
The rock to standing pools he turns;
Flints spring with fountains at his word,
And fires and seas confess the Lord.
Psalm 115:1. First Metre.
The true God our refuge;
or, Idolatry reproved.
1 Not to ourselves, who are but dust,
Not to ourselves is glory due,
Eternal God, thou only just,
Thou only gracious, wise, and true.
2 Shine forth in all thy dreadful Name;
Why should a heathen's haughty tongue
Insult us, and to raise our shame
Say, "Where's the God you've serv'd so long?"
Back to Full Books
|