13 This man shall rest and safety find In seasons of distress; Whilst God prepares a pit for those That stubbornly transgress.
14 For God will never from his saints His favour wholly take; His own possession and his lot He will not quite forsake.
15 The world shall then confess thee just In all that thou hast done; And those that choose thy upright ways, Shall in those paths go on.
16 Who will appear in my behalf, When wicked men invade?
Or who, when sinners would oppress, My righteous cause shall plead?
17, 18, 19 Long since had I in silence slept, But that the Lord was near,
To stay me when I slipt; when sad, My troubled heart to cheer.
20 Wilt thou, who art a God most just, Their sinful throne sustain, Who make the law a fair pretence Their wicked ends to gain?
21 Against the lives of righteous men They form their close design; And blood of innoceats to spill In solemn league combine.
22 Bat my defence is firmly plac'd In God, the Lord most high: He is my rock, to which I may For refuge always fly.
23 The Lord shall cause their ill designs On their own heads to fall:
He in their sins shall cut them off, Our God shall slay them all.
Come, loud anthems let us sing Loud thanks to our Almighty King; For we our voices high should raise, When our salvation's Rock we praise. 2 Into his presence let us haste, To thank him for his favours past; To him address, in joyful songs, The praise that to his name belongs.
3 For God the Lord, enthron'd in state,
Is, with unrivall'd glory, great:
A King superior far to all
Whom gods the heathen falsely call. 4 The depths of earth are in his hand, Her secret wealth at his command; The strength of hills that reach the skies, Subjected to his empire lies.
5. The rolling ocean's vast abyss, By the same sov'reign right, is his; "Tis mov'd by his Almighty hand, That form'd and fix'd the solid land. 6 Q let us to his courts repair, And bow with adoration there; Down on our knees devoutly all Before the Lord, our Maker, fall. 7 For he's our God, our Shepherd he, Ilis flock and pasture sheep are we: If then you'll, like his flock, draw near, To-day if you his voice will hear,
8 Let not your harden'd hearts renew Your father's crimes and judgments too; Nor here provoke my wrath, as they In desert plains of Meribah.
9 When through the wilderness they mov'd, And me with fresh temptations prov'd,
They still, through unbelief, rebell'd, Whilst they my wondrous works beheld. 10 They forty years my patience griev❜d, Though daily I their wants reliev❜d. Then 'Tis a faithless race, I said, Whose heart from me has always stray'd. 11 They ne'er will tread my righteous path: Therefore to them, in settled wrath, Since they despis'd my rest, I sware, That they should never enter there. PSALM XCVI.
JNG to the Lord a new-made song; Let earth in one assembled throng Her common Patron's praise resound: 2 Sing to the Lord, and bless his name, From day to day his praise proclaim,
Who us has with salvation crown'd: 3 To heathen lands his fame rehearse, His wonders to the universe.
4 He's great, and greatly to be prais'd; In majesty and glory raised
Above all other deities:
5 For pageantry and idols ail Are they, whom gods the heathen call; He only rules, who made the skies: 6 With majesty and honour crown'd, Beauty and strength his throne surround.. 7 Be therefore both to him restor❜d By you, who have false gods ador'd; Aseribe due honour to his name: 8 Peace-off'rings on his altar lay, Before his throne your homage pay, Which he, and he alone, can claim: 9 To worship at his sacred court, Let all the trembling world resort. 10 Proclaim aloud, Jehovah reigns, Whose power the universe sustains,
And banish'd justice will restore: 11 Let therefore heav'n new joys confess; And heav'nly mirth let earth express;
Its loud applause the ocean roar; Its mute inhabitants rejoice, And for this triumph find a voice. 12 For joy let fertile vallies sing, The cheerful groves their tribute bring, The tuneful choir of birds awake, 13 The Lord's approach to celebrate; Who now sets out with awful state,
His circuit through the earth to take: From heaven to judge the world he's come With justice to reward and doom. PSALM XCVII. [EHOVAH reigns, let all the earth
In his just government rejoice; Let all the isles with sacred mirth, In his applause unite their voice.
2 Darkness and clouds of awful shade His dazzling glory shroud in state; Justice and truth his guards are made, And fix'd by his pavilion wait.
3 Devouring fire before his face,
His foes around with vengeance struck; 4 His lightning set the world on blaze; Earth saw it, and with terror shook. 5 The proudest hills his presence felt, Their height nor strength could help afford; The proudest hills like wax did melt In presence of th' Almighty Lord.
6 The heavens, his righteousness to show, With storms of fire our foes pursu❜d, And all the trembling world below Have his descending glory view'd.
"Confounded be their impious host, Who make the gods to whom they pray; All who of pageant idols boast:
To him, ye gods, your worship pay. 8 Glad Sion of thy triumph heard,
And Judah's daughters were o'erjoy'd; Because thy righteous judgments, Lord, Have pagan pride and power destroy'd. 9 For thou, O God, art seated high, Above earth's potentates enthron'd; Thou, Lord, unrivall'd in the sky,
Supreme by all the gods art own'd. 10 Ye who to serve this Lord aspire, Abhor what's ill, and truth esteem; He'll keep his servants' souls entire,
And them from wicked hands redeem. 11 For seeds are sown of glorious light, A future harvest for the just; And gladness for the heart that's right, To recompense its pious trust. 12 Rejoice, ye righteous, in the Lord; Memorials of his holiness Deep in your faithful breasts record, And with your thankful tongues confess. PSALM XCVII.
ING to the Lord a new-made song,
With his right hand and holy arm
The conquest he has won.
2 The Lord has through th' astonish'd world Display'd his saving might,
And made his righteous acts appear In all the heathen's sight.
3 Of Israel's house his love and truth Have ever mindful been;
Wide earth's remotest parts the power Of Israel's God have seen.
4 Let therefore earth's inhabitants Their cheerful voices raise; And all, with universal joy,
Resound their Maker's praise.
5 With harp and hymn's soft melody, Into the concert bring
6 The trumpet and shrill cornet's sound, Before th' Almighty King.
7 Let the loud ocean roar her joy, With all the seas contain; The earth, and her inhabitants, Join concert with the main.
8 With joy let riv❜lets swell to streams, To spreading torrents they;
And echoing vales from hill to hill Redoubled shouts convey;
4 For truth and justice, in his reign,
Of strength and power take place; His judgments are with righteousness Dispens'd to Jacob's race.
5 Therefore exalt the Lord our God; Before his footstool fall; And, with his unresisted might, His holiness extol.
6 Moses and Aaron thus of old Among his priests ador'd; Among his prophets Samuel thus His sacred name implor'd. Distress'd, upon the Lord they call'd, Who ne'er their suit deny'd; But, as with rev'rence they implor'd, He graciously reply'd.
7 For with their camp, to guide their march, The cloudy pillar mov'd;
They kept his law, and to his will Obedient servants prov'd.
8 He answer'd them, forgiving oft His people for their sake; And those who rashly them oppos'd, Did sad examples make.
19 With worship at his sacred courts Exalt our God and Lord; For he, who only holy is, Alone should be ador'd.
WITH one consent, let all the earth To God their cheerful voices raise; Glad homage pay, with awful mirth, And sing before him songs of praise: 3 Convinc'd that he is God alone, From whom both we and all proceed; We, whom he chooses for his own,
The flock that he vouchsafes to feed. 4 O enter then his temple gate,
Thence to his courts devoutly press; And still your grateful hymns repeat,' And still his name with praises bless. 5 For he's the Lord, supremely good, His mercy is for ever sure;
His truth, which always firmly stood, To endless ages shall endure. PSALM CI.
mercy's never-failing spring, And adfast judgment I will sing And since they both to thee belong, To thee, O Lord, address my song.
2 When, Lord, thou shalt with me reside, Wise discipline my reign shall guide;
9 To welcome down the world's great Judge, With blameless life myself I'll make
Who does with justice come,
And with impartial equity,
Both to reward and doom,
PSALM XCIX.
[EHOVAH reigns; let therefore all The guilty nations quake:
On Cherubs' wings he sets enthron'd; Let earth's foundations shake. 2 On Sion's hill he keeps his court,
His palace makes her towers; Yet thence his sov'reignty extends Supreme o'er earthly powers.
3 Let therefore all with praise address His great and dreadful name; And, with his unresisted might, His holiness proclaim.
A pattern for my court to take.
3 No ill design will I pursue,
Nor those my fav'rites make that do: 4 Who to reproof has no regard,
Him will I totally discard. 5 The private slanderer shall be In public justice doom'd by me: From haughty looks I'll turn aside, And mortify the heart of pride. 6 But honesty, call'd from her cell, In splendour at my court shall dwell: Who virtue's practice make their care, Shall have the first preferments there. 7 No politics shall recommend His country's foe to be my friend: None e'er shall to my favour rise, By flatt'ring or malicious lies.
8 All those who wicked courses take, An early sacrifice I'll make;
Cut off, destroy, till none remain God's holy city to profane.
W Do thon, O Lord, attend;
WHEN I pour out my soul in prayer,
To thy eternal throne of grace Let my sad cry ascend.
2 O hide not thou thy glorious face In times of deep distress; Incline thine ear, and when I call, My sorrows soon redress. 3 Each cloudy portion of my life, Like scatter'd smoke expires; My shrivell'd bones are like a hearth Parch'd with continual fires.
4 My heart, like grass that feels the blast Of some infectious wind, Does languish so with grief, that scarce My needful food I mind. 5. By reason of my sad estate
I spend my breath in groans; My flesh is worn away, my skin Scarce hides my starting bones. 6 I'm like a pelican become,
That does in deserts mourn; Or like an owl, that sits all day On barren trees forlorn.
7 In watchings, or in restless dreams, The night by me is spent,
As by those solitary birds,
That lonesome roofs frequent.
8 All day by railing foes I'm made The subject of their scorn; Who all, possess'd with furious rage, Have my destruction sworn.
9 When grov'ling on the ground I lie, Oppress'd with grief and fears, My bread is strew'd with ashes o'er, My drink is mix'd with tears. 10 Because on me with double weight Thy heavy wrath doth lie;
For thou, to make my fall more great, Didst lift me up on high.
11 My days, just hast'ning to their end, Are like an ev❜ning shade; My beauty does, like wither'd grass, With waning lustre fade.
12 But thy eternal state, O Lord, No length of time shall waste;
The mem❜ry of thy wondrous works From age to age shall last.
13 Thou shalt arise, and Sion view With an unclouded face;
For now her time is come, thy own Appointed day of grace.
14 Her scatter'd ruins by thy saints With pity are survey'd; They grieve to see her lofty spires In dust and rubbish laid.
15, 16. The name and glory of the Lord All heathen kings shall fear;
When he shall Sion build again,
And in full state appear.
17, 18 When he regards the poor's request, Nor slights their earnest prayer;
for their recorded grace,
Shall his just praise declare.
19 For God, from his abode on high, His gracious beams display'd:
The Lord, from heaven, his lofty throne, Hath all the earth survey'd.
20 He listen'd to the captives' moans, He heard their mournful cry, And freed, by his resistless power, The wretches doom'd to die.
21 That they in Sion, where he dwells, Might celebrate his fame, And through the holy city sing Loud praises to his name:
22 When all the tribes assembling there, Their solemn vows address,
And neighb'ring lands, with glad consent, The Lord their God confess.
23 But e'er my race is run, my strength Through his fierce wrath decays; He has, when all my wishes bloom'd, Cut short my hopeful days.
24 Lord, end not thou my life, said I, When half is scarcely past;
Thy years, from worldly changes free, To endless ages last.
25 The strong foundations of the earth Of old by thee were laid;
Thy hands the beauteous arch of heaven With wondrous skill have made.
26, 27 Whilst thou for ever shalt endure, They soon shall pass away;
And, like a garment often worn,
Shall tarnish and decay.
Like that, when thou ordain'st their change, To thy command they bend;
But thou continu'st still the same, Nor have thy years an end.
28 Thou to the children of thy saints Shalt lasting quiet give;
Whose happy race, securely fix'd, Shall in thy presence live.
M God's holy name for ever bless;
Y soul, inspir'd with sacred love,
Of all his favours mindful prove,
And still thy grateful thanks express. 3, 4 'Tis he that all thy sins forgives,
And after sickness makes thee sound; From danger he thy life retrieves,
By him with grace and mercy crown'd. 5, 6 He with good things thy mouth supplies, Thy vigour, eagle-like, renews; He, when the guiltless suff'rer cries,
His foe with just revenge pursues. 7 God made of old his righteous ways To Moses and our fathers known; His works, to his eternal praise,
Were to the sons of Jacob shown. 8 The Lord abounds with tender love, And unexampled acts of grace; His waken'd wrath doth slowly move, His willing mercy flies apace.
9, 10 God will not always harshly chide, But with his anger quickly part; And loves his punishments to guide More by his love than our desert. 11 As high as heaven its arch extends Above this little spot of clay,
So much his boundless love transcends The small respects that we can pay. 12, 13 As far as 'tis from east to west, So far has he our sins remov'd; Who, with a father's tender breast, Has such as fear'd him always lov'd
14, 15 For God, who all our frame surveys, Considers that we are but clay; How fresh soe'er we seem, our days
Like grass or flowers must fade away. 16, 17 Whilst they are nipt with sudden blasts, Nor can we find their former place; God's faithful mercy ever lasts,
To those that fear him, and their race. 18 This shall attend on such as still Proceed in his appointed way; And who not only know his will, But to it just obedience pay. 19, 20 The Lord, the universal King, In heaven has fix'd his lofty throne: To him, ye angels, praises sing,
In whose great strength his power is shown. Ye that his just commands obey,
And hear and do his sacred will, 21 Ye hosts of his, this tribute pay, Who still what he ordains fulfil. 22 Let every creature jointly bless
The mighty Lord: and thou, my heart, With grateful joy thy thanks express, And in this concert bear thy part.
Bossesses empire without bounds;
LESS God, my soul: thou, Lord, alone
With honour thou art crown'd, thy throne Eternal majesty surrounds.
2 With light thou dost thyself enrobe, And glory for a garment take; Heaven's curtains stretch beyond the globe, Thy canopy of state to make.
3 God builds on liquid air, and forms His palace chambers in the skies; The clouds his chariots are, and storms The swift-wing'd steeds with which he flies. 4 As bright as flame, as swift as wind, His ministers heaven's palace fill, To have their sundry tasks assign'd, All proud to serve their Sov'reign's will. 5, 6 Earth on her centre fix'd, he set, Her face with waters overspread; Nor proudest mountains dar'd as yet To lift above the waves their head. 7 But when thy awful face appear'd,
Th' insulting waves dispers'd; they fled, When once thy thunder's voice they heard, And by their haste confess'd their dread. 8 Thence up by secret tracks they creep, And, gushing from the mountain's side, Through valleys travel to the deep, Appointed to receive their tide.
9 There hast thou fix'd the ocean's bounds, The threat'ning surges to repel; That they no more o'erpass their mounds, Nor to a second deluge swell.
10 Yet thence in smaller parties drawn, The sea recovers her lost hills; And starting springs from every lawn Surprise the vales with plenteous rills. 11 The field's tame beasts are thither led, Weary with labour, faint with drought; And asses on wild mountains bred
Have sense to find these currents out. 12 There shady trees from scorching beams Yield shelter to the feather'd throng; They drink, and to the bounteous streams Return the tribute of their song.
13 His rains from heaven parch'd hills recruit, That soon transmit the liquid store, Till earth is burden'd with her fruit, And nature's lap can hold no more. 14 Grass, for our cattle to devour, He makes the growth of every field: Herbs, for man's use, of various power, That either food or physic yield.
15 With cluster'd grapes he crowns the vine, To cheer man's heart, oppress'd with cares; Gives oil, that makes his face to shine, And corn, that wasted strength repairs.
16 The trees of God, without the care Or art of man, with sap are fed: The mountain-cedar looks as fair As those in royal gardens bred. 17 Safe in the lofty cedar's arms The wand'rers of the air may rest; The hospitable pine from harms
Protects the stork, her pious guest. 18 Wild goats the craggy rock ascend, Its tow'ring heights their fortress make, Whose cells in labyrinths extend,
Where feebler creatures refuge take. 19 The moon's inconstant aspect shows Th' appointed seasons of the year; Th' instructed sun his duty knows,
His hours to rise and disappear. 20, 21 Darkness he makes the earth to shroud, When forest beasts securely stray;
Young lions roar their wants aloud
To Providence, that sends them prey. 22 They range all night, on slaughter bent, Till summon'd by the rising morn, To skulk in dens, with one consent The conscious ravagers return. 23 Forth to the tillage of his soil
The husbandman securely goes, Commencing with the sun his toil,
With him returns to his repose.
24 How various, Lord, thy works are found, For which thy wisdom we adore! The earth is with thy treasure crown'd, Till nature's hand can grasp no more.
25 But still the vast unfathom'd main, Of wonders a new scene supplies, Whose depths inhabitants contain
Of every form, and every size. 26 Full-freighted ships from every port There cut their unmolested way; Leviathan, whom there to sport
Thou mad'st, has compass there to play. 27 These various troops of sea and land In sense of common want agree; All wait on thy dispensing hand,
And have their daily alms from thee. 28 They gather what thy stores disperse, Without their trouble to provide; Thou op'st thy hand, the universe, The craving world, is all supply'd. 29 Thou for a moment hid'st thy face, The num'rous ranks of creatures mourn; Thou tak'st their breath, all nature's race Forthwith to mother earth return. 30 Again thou send'st thy spirit forth T' inspire the mass with vital seed; Nature's restor'd, and parent earth Smiles on her new-created breed.
31 Thus through successive ages stands Firm fix'd thy providential care; Pleas'd with the work of thy own hands, Thou dost the waste of time repair. 32 One look of thine, one wrathful look, Earth's panting breast with terror fills; One touch from thee, with clouds of smoke In darkness shrouds the proudest hills. 33 In praising God, while he prolongs
My breath, I will that breath employ; 94 And join devotion to my songs, Sincere, as in him is my joy.
35 While sinners from earth's face are hurl'd, My soul, praise thou his holy name, Till with my song the list'ning world Join concert, and his praise proclaim. PSALM CV.
Render thanks, and bless the Lord; Invoke sacred name; Acquaint the nations with his deeds, His matchless deeds proclaim. 2 Sing to his praise in lofty hymns; His wondrous works rehearse;
Make them the theme of your discourse, And subject of your verse. 3 Rejoice in his Almighty name, Alone to be ador'd;
And let their hearts o'erflow with joy That humbly seek the Lord.
4 Seek ye the Lord, his saving strength Devoutly still implore;
And, where he's ever present, seek His face for evermore.
5 The wonders that his hands have wrought Keep thankfully in mind;
The righteous statutes of his mouth, And laws to us assign'd.
6 Know ye, his servant Abraham's seed, And Jacob's chosen race;
7 He's still our God, his judgments still Throughout the earth take place. 8 His cov❜nant he hath kept in mind For num'rous ages past, Which yet for thousand ages more In equal force shall last.
9 First sign'd to Abra'm, next, by oath To Isaac made secure;
10 To Jacob and his heirs a law,
For ever to endure:
11 That Canaan's land should be their lot, When yet but few they were;
12 But few in number, and those few All friendless strangers there.
13 In pilgrimage, from realm to realm, Securely they remov'd;
19 Till God's appointed time and word To his deliv'rance came.
20 The king his sov❜reign order sent, And rescu'd him with speed; Whom private malice had confin'd, The people's ruler freed.
14 Whilst proudest monarchs, for their sakes Severely he reprov'd.
15 "These mine anointed are," said he; "Let none my servants wrong; "Nor treat the poorest prophet ill, "That does to me belong." 16 A dearth at last, by his command, Did through the land prevail; Till corn, the chief support of life, Sustaining corn, did fail.
17 But his indulgent providence Had pious Joseph sent, Sold into Egypt, but their death, Who sold him, to prevent.
18 His feet with heavy chains were crush'd, With calumny his fame;
21 His court, revenues, realms, were all Subjected to his will;
22 His greatest princes to control, And teach his statesmen skill. PART II.
23 To Egypt then, invited guests, Half-famish'd Israel came; And Jacob held, by royal grant, The fertile soil of Ham.
24 Th' Almighty there with such increase His people multiply'd,
Till with their proud oppressors they
In strength and number vy'd.
25 Their vast increase th' Egyptians' hearts With jealous anger fir'd,
Till they his servants to destroy
By treach'rous arts conspir'd.
26 His servant Moses then he sent, His chosen Aaron too,
27 Empower'd with signs and miracles, To prove their mission true.
28 He call'd for darkness, darkness came, Nature his summons knew;
29 Each stream and lake, transform'd to blood, The wand'ring fishes slew.
30 In putrid floods, throughout the land, The pest of frogs was bred;
From noisome fens sent up to croak
At Pharaoh's board and bed.
31 He gave the sign, and swarms of flies Came down in cloudy hosts; Whilst earth's enliven'd dust below Bred lice through all their coasts. 32 He sent them batt'ring hail for rain, And fire for cooling dew;
33 He smote their vines, and forest plants; And garden's pride o'erthrew.
34 He spake the word, and locusts came, And caterpillars join'd;
They prey'd upon the poor remains The storm had left behind.
35 From trees to herbage they descend, No verdant thing they spare; But, like the naked fallow field, Leave all the pastures bare.
36 From fields to villages and towns, Commission'd vengeance flew ;
One fatal stroke their eldest hopes And strength of Egypt slew.
37 He brought his servants forth, enrich'd With Egypt's borrow'd wealth; And, what transcends all treasure else, Enrich'd with vig'rous health.
38 Egypt rejoic'd, in hopes to find Her plagues with them remov'd; Taught dearly now to fear worse ills By those already prov'd.
39 Their shrouding canopy by day A journeying cloud was spread; A fiery pillar all the night
Their desert marches led.
40 They long'd for flesh; with ev'ning quails
He furnish'd every tent;
From heaven's high granary, each morn,
The bread of angels sent,
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