Page images
PDF
EPUB

Their Maker's glory; thou, my soul,
Shalt sing his praises too.

1

PSALM 104. First Part. L. M. The glory of God in creation and providence.

MY

Y soul, thy great Creator praise; When cloth'd in his celestial rays, He in full majesty appears,

And, like a robe, his glory wears.

2 The heav'ns are for his curtains spread, Th' unfathom'd deep he makes his bed: Clouds are his chariots, 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 bounds,
And in their channels walk their rounds;
Yet thence convey'd by secret veins,
They spring from hills and drench the plai
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.

1

PSALM 104. Second Part. `L. M.
Providence.

OD, from his cloudy cistern, pours
On the parch'd earth enriching show'rs;
The grove, the garden, and the field,
A thousand joyful blessings yield.
2 He makes the grassy food arise,
And gives the cattle large supplies;
With herbs for man, of various pow'r,
To nourish nature, or to cure.

3 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.

4 O! bless his name, ye nations, fed
With nature's chief supporter, bread:
While bread your vital strength imparts,
Serve him with vigour in your hearts.
PSALM 104. Third Part. L. M.

1

Providence.

[ocr errors]

Rais'd in the forest by his hands;
Birds to the boughs for shelter fly,
And build their nests secure on high.
2 To craggy hills ascends the goat;
And at the airy mountain's foot,
The feeble creatures make their cell:
He gives them wisdom where to dwell.

3 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.
4 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.
5 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.

6 How strange thy works! how great thy skill!
All lands thy boundless riches fill:
Thy wisdom round the world we see;
This spacious earth is full of thee.
7 Nor less thy glories in the deep,
Where fish in millions swim and creep,
With wondrous motions swift or slow,
Still wand'ring in the paths below.
8 There ships divide their wat❜ry way,
And flocks of scaly monsters play;
There dwells the huge leviathan,
And foams and sports in spite of man,

PSALM 104. Fourth Part. L. M.

VAS

Providence.

i AST are thy works, Almighty Lord!
All nature rests upon thy word:
And the whole race of creatures stands,
Waiting their portion from thy hands.
2 While each receives his diff'rent food,
His cheerful looks pronounce it good:

Eagles and bears, and whales and worms Rejoice, and praise in diff'rent forms. 3 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 are thine. 4 Yet thou can'st 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.
5 Thy works, the wonders of thy might,
Are honour'd with thine own delight:
How awful are thy glorious ways!
Lord, thou art dreadful in thy praise.
6 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 sov'reign grace.
7 In thee my hopes and wishes meet,
And make my meditations sweet:
Thy praises shall my breath employ,
Till it expire in endless joy.

8 While haughty sinners die accurst,
Their glory buried with their dust,
I, to my God, my heav'nly King,
Immortal hallelujahs sing.

G

PSALM 105. First Part. C. M.

God's care of the patriarchs.

IVE 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 cov❜nant, which he kept in mind
For num'rous ages past,
To num'rous ages yet behind,
In equal force shall last.

[ocr errors]

3 He sware to Abra'm and his seed,
And made the blessing sure:
Gentiles the ancient promise read,
And find his truth endure.

4 "Thy seed shall make the nations blest," Said the Almighty voice;

"And Canaan's land shall be their rest, "The type of heav'nly 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' ev'ry age,
And be th' Almighty's care.

PSALM 105. Second Part.

W

The plagues of Egypt.

C. M.

HEN Pharaoh dar'd to vex the saints
And thus provok'd their God;

« PreviousContinue »