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GREAT is the Lord our God,

And let his praise be great; He makes his churches his abode, His most delightful seat.

These temples of his grace,
How beautiful they stand!

The honours of our native place,
And bulwarks of our land.]

In Sion God is known

A refuge in distress;

How bright has his salvation shone
Through all her palaces!

When kings against her joined,
And saw the Lord was there,
In wild confusion of the mind

They fled with hasty fear.

When navies tall and proud
Attempt to spoil our peace,

He sends his tempests roaring loud,
And sinks them in the seas.

Oft have our fathers told,

Our eyes have often seen,

How well our God secures the fold
Where his own sheep have been.
In every new distress

We'll to his house repair;

We'll think upon his wondrous grace, And seek deliverance there.

14 [Life is a blessing can't be sold,
The ransom is too high;
Justice will ne'er be bribed with gold,
That men 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 carcass 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.

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PSALM 49. 14, 15. PART II. C. M. Death and the resurrection.

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E 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 scorned them here?

3 God will my naked soul receive,
When separate from the flesh;
And break the prison of the grave
To raise my bones afresh.

4 Heaven is my everlasting home,
The inheritance is sure;
Let men of pride their rage resume,
But I'll repine no more.

PSALM 49. L. M.

The rich sinner's death, and the saints'

resurrection.

WHY do the proud insult the poor,

W 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 the 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.

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 Throned on a cloud cur 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 sealed 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."

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,
Defiled with lust, defiled 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. To a new Tune.

The last judgment.

Lord, the Sovereign, sends his summons forth,

Calls the south nations, and awakes the north; From east to west the sounding orders spread

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Obedience is better than sacrifice.

HUS saith the Lord, 'The spacious fields
And locks 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.'

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 sinner's 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, Sealed by the eternal sacrifice in blood, [Jew, And signed with all their names; the Greek, the That paid the ancient worship or the new, There's no distinction here; come, spread their thrones,

And near me seat my favourites and my sons. 4 I, their almighty Saviour and their God,

The judgment of hypocrites.

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.

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 flattered with thy cringing bows, Thy solemn chatterings and fantastic vows? Are my eyes charmed 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 & statutes on thy tongue,
Thou lovest 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 long-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
Behold my terrors now: my thunders roll, [sin?]
And thy own crimes affright thy guilty soul.

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 defiled 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.

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PSALM 51. PART III. L. M. The backslider restored; or, Repentance and faith in the blood of Christ.

THOU that hearest when sinners
Though 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 banished from thy sight:
Thine holy joys, my God, restore,
And guard me that I fall no more.

4 Though I have grieved 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 condemned 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.

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PSALM 51. 3-13. PART I. C. M. Original and actual sin confessed and pardoned.

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 advanced, 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.

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PSALM 51. 14-17. PART II. C. M. Repentance and faith in the blood of Christ.

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.

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PSALM 53. 4-6. C. M.

Victory and deliverance from persecution.

All the foes of Sion foots

Who thus devour her saints?

Do they not know her Saviour rules,
And pities her complaints?

2 They shall be seized 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 despised 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. 1-8, 16-18, 22. C. M.

Support for the afflicted and tempted soul.

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 levelled 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 feathered 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 escape 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.

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PSALM 55. 15-17, 1, 9, 22. S. M. Dangerous prosperity; or, Daily devotions encouraged.

LET sinners take their course
And choose the road to death:
But in the worship of my God
I'll spend my daily breath.

My thoughts address his throne
When morning brings the light;
I seek his blessing every noon,
And pay my vows at night.
Thou wilt regard my cries,
O my eternal God,

While sinners perish in surprise
Beneath thine angry rod.

Because they dwell at ease,

And no sad changes feel,

They neither fear nor trust thy name,

8 In thee, most holy, just, and true,
I have reposed 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 secured my soul from death: O set thy prisoner free,

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That heart and hand, and life and breath, May be employed for thee.

PSALM 57. L. M.

Praise for protection, grace, and truth.
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 fixed, 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,

Nor learn to do thy will.

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No earthly power can move.

PSALM 56. C. M.

Deliverance from oppression and falsehood; or, God's care of his people, in answer to faith and prayer.

THOU whose justice reigns on high, And makes the 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 reposed 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 counsels 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.

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.

JUDGES, who rule the world by laws,

Will ye despise the righteous cause, When the injured poor before you stands ? Dare you 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 poisoned 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 dyed 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 The 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.'