PSALM LXXII. Metre ii.
REAT GOD, whose universal Sway
The known and unknown Worlds obey,
Now give the Kingdom to thy SON;
Extend his Pow'r, exalt his Throne.
2 Thy Sceptre well becomes his Hands;
All Heav'n fubmits to his Commands ;
His Justice shall avenge the Poor ;
And Pride and Rage prevail no more.
3 With Pow'r He vindicates the Juft,
And treads th' Oppreffor in the Duft;
His Worship and his Fear fhall last
Till Hours, and Years, and Time be past.
4 As Rain on Meadows newly mown,
So fhall He fend his Influence down:
His Grace on fainting Souls diftils,
Like heav'nly Dew on thirsty Hills.
5 The Heathen Lands, that lie beneath
The Shades of over-fpreading Death,
Revive at his firft dawning Light,
And Deserts bloffom at the Sight.
6 The Saints fhall flourish in his Days,
Dreft in the Robes of Joy and Praise;
Peace, like a River, from his Throne,
Shall flow to Nations yet unknown.
= 7 JESUS fhall reign where'er the Sun
Does his fucceffive Journies run:
His Kingdom ftretch from Shore to Shore,
Till Moons fhall wax and wane no more.
8 TO HIM fhall endless Pray'r be made,
And Princes throng to crown his Head;
His Name, like fweet Perfume, fhall rife
With ev'ry Morning-Sacrifice.
9 People and Realms of ev'ry Tongue
Dwell on his Love with sweetest Song;
And Infant-Voices fhall proclaim
Their early Bleffings on his Name.
10 Bleffings abound where'er He reigns;
The Pris'ner leaps to loose his Chains;
The Weary find eternal Reft,
And all the Sons of Want are bleft.
11 Where He displays his healing Pow'r,
Death and the Curfe are known no more;
In Him the Tribes of Adam boast
More Bleffings than their Father loft.
12 Let ev'ry Creature rife, and bring
Peculiar Honours to our KING;
Angels defcend with Songs again,
And Earth repeat the loud Amen.
TOW I'm convinc'd the LORD is kind
To Men of Heart finceré :
Though once my foolish Thoughts repin'd,
And border'd on Despair.
2 I griev'd to fee the Wicked thrive,
And fpoke with angry Breath,
"How pleafant and profane they live!
"How peaceful is their Death!"
3 Yet while my Tongue indulg'd Complaints,
I felt my Heart reprove;
"Sure I fhall thus offend thy Saints,
"And grieve the Men I love."
But ftill I found my Doubts too hard,
'The Conflict too fevere,
Till I retir'd to fearch thy Word,
And learn thy Secrets there.
5 There, as in fome prophetic Glafs,
I faw the Sinner's Feet
High mounted on a lipp'ry Place,
Befide, a fiery Pit.
6 I heard the Wretch profanely boast,
Till at thy Frown he fell;
His Honours in a Dream were loft,
And.he awakes in Hell.
7 LORD, what an envious Fool I was !·
How like a thoughtlefs Beaft!
Thus to fufpect thy promis'd Grace,
And think the Wicked bleft.
8 Yet was I kept from full Defpair,
'Upheld by Pow'r unknown:
That bleffed Hand that broke the Snare,
Shall guide me to thy Throne.
9 GOD, my Supporter and my Hope,
My Help for ever near,
Thine Art of Mercy held me up,
When finking in Defpair.
10 Thy Counfels, LORD, fhall guide my Feet Through this dark Wilderness;
Thine Hand conduct me near thy Seat,
To dwell before thy Face.
11 Were I in Heav'n without my God,
'Twould be no Joy to me;
And while this Earth is my Abode,
I long for none but Thee.
12 What if the Springs of Life were broke,
And Flesh and Heart should faint!
GOD is my Soul's eternal Rock,
The Strength of ev'ry Saint.
13 Behold, the Sinners that remove
Far from thy Presence die ;
Not all the Idol-Gods they love
Can fave them when they cry.
14 But to draw near to THEE, my God,
Shall be my fweet Employ;
My Tongue fhall found thy Works abroad,
And tell the World my Joy.
ORD, what a thoughtless Wretch was I,
To fee the Wicked plac'd on high,
In Pride and Robes of Honour fhine!
2 But, O their End! their dreadful End!
Thy Sanctuary taught me fo:
On flippery Rocks I fee them ftand,
And fiery Billows roll below.
3 Now let them boaft how tall they rife, I'll never envy them again;
There they may ftand with haughty Eyes,
Till they plunge deep in endless Pain.
4 Their fancy'd Joys how faft they flee !
Juft like a Dream when Man awakes;
Their Songs of foftest Harmony
Are but a Preface to their Plagues.
5 Now I esteem their Mirth and Wine
Too dear to purchafe with my Blood;
LORD, 'tis enough that THOU art Mine,
My LIFE, my PORTION, and my God.
THOU, whofe Hand has Ifrael led,
His Fold enlarg'd, his Pafture fpread,
Call to thy Thought the facred Band,
Once own'd the Purchase of thine Hand.
12 The Heritage by Thee redeem'd;
Fair Sion's Mount, where copious stream'd
Th' eternal LIGHT,-and spoke her Shrine
The Seat of MAJESTY divine.
3 THEE from of old my KING I fee, c
Nor knows my Heart a Friend but THEE:
Thine Arm alone, in Jacob's Right,
Hath turn'd each adverfe Pow'r to Flight.
4 At thy Command, the wat'ry Deeps
Afunder stood, in liquid Heaps:
Thy Mandate Jordan's Channel dry'd,
And backward roll'd its wond'ring Tide.
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