God's gentle chastisement.

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 placed 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.

2

PSALM 103. Part 1. Ver. 1-7. S. M.
Praise for spiritual and temporal mercies.
BLESS the Lord, my soul!
Let all within me join,

And aid my tongue to bless his name
Whose favours are divine.

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;

6

The Lord hath judgments for the proud,
And justice for th' oppress'd.

His wondrous works and ways
He made by Moses known;

But sent the world his truth and grace
By his beloved Son.

PSALM 103. Part 2. Ver. 8-18. S. M.
Abounding compassion of God.

MY soul, repeat his praise

Whose mercies are so great,
Whose anger is so slow to rise,
So ready to abate.

High as the heavens are raised
Above the ground we tread,
So far the riches of his grace
Our highest thoughts exceed.
His power subdues our sins,
And his forgiving love

Far as the east is from the west
Doth all our guilt remove.
The pity of the Lord,

To those that fear his name,
Is such as tender parents feel;
He knows our feeble frame.

He knows we are but dust,
Scatter'd with every breath;
His anger, like a rising wind,
Can send us swift to death.

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.

But thy compassious, Lord,
To endless years endure;
And children's children ever find
Thy words of promise sure.

PSALM 104. L. M.

The glory of God in creation and providence.

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.
[Great is the Lord, what tongue can frame
An equal honour to his name?]

The heavens are for his curtains spread,
The unfathom'd deep he makes his bed,
Clouds are his chariots when he flies
On winged storms across the skies.
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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

In thee my hopes and wishes meet,
And make my meditations sweet;
Thy praises shall my breath employ,
Till it expire in endless joy.

PSALM 105. C. M.

God's conduct of Israel, and the plagues of Egypt.

G

IVE thanks to God, invoke his name,
And tell the world his grace;

Sound through the earth his deeds of fame,
That all may seek his face.

His cov❜nant, which he kept in mind
For num'rous ages past,

To num'rous ages yet behind

In equal force shall last.

He sware to Abraham and his seed,
And made the blessings sure;
Gentiles the ancient promise read,
And find his truth endure.

When Pharaoh dared to vex the saints
And thus provoked their God,
Moses was sent at their complaints,
Arm'd with his dreadful rod.

Then by an angel's midnight stroke
The flower of Egypt died;
The strength of every house was broke,
Their glory and their pride.

Now let the world forbear its rage,
Nor put the church in fear;
Israel must live through every age,
And be th' Almighty's care.

PSALM 106. Part 1.

Ver. 1-5. L. M.

1

Praise to God.

To God the great, the ever-bless'd,
Let songs of honour be address'd;
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?
Bless'd 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.