2 Thou spread'st the curtain of the night,
Great Guardian of our sleeping hours;
Thy sov'reign word restores the light,
And quickens all our drowsy pow'rs.
3 Lord, may we yield to Thy command,
To Thee still consecrate our days
Perpetual blessings from Thine hand
Demand perpetual songs of praise.
PSALM V. (Stroudwater.)
ORD, in the morning Thou shalt hear
My voice ascending high;
To Thee will I direct my pray'r,
To Thee lift up mine eye.
2 Oft to Thy house will I resort
To taste Thy mercies there;
I will frequent Thine holy court,
And worship in Thy fear.
3 O may Thy Spirit guide my feet
In ways of righteousness;
Make every path of duty straight
And plain before my face.
4 The men that love and fear Thy Name
Shall see their hopes fulfill'd;
The mighty God shall compass them
With favour as a shield.
PSALM VIII.-(Bedford.)
God to whom all creatures bow
Within this earthly frame;
Through all the world, how great art Thou; How glorious is Thy name!
2 In heav'n Thy wond'rous acts are sung
By blessed spirits there :
On earth, thou mak'st the infant tongue
Thy boundless praise declare.
3 Through Thee the weak confound the strong, And overcome their foes;
And so Thou still'st the wicked throng,
Which Thee and Thine oppose.
4 O God, who rul'st the worlds above,
And govern'st earth the same;
To man, how wonderful Thy love!
How glorious is Thy Name!
PSALM IX.-(Bloxham.)
ΤΟ celebrate Thy praise, O Lord,
We will our hearts prepare;
To all the list'ning world, Thy works,
Thy wond'rous works declare.
2 The thoughts of them shall to our souls
Exalted pleasure bring;
While to Thy Name, O Thou most High,
Triumphant praise we sing.
3 All those who have Thy goodness prov'd,
Will in Thy truth confide;
Whose mercy ne'er forsook the man
Whose heart on Thee rely'd.
4 Our grateful songs, O Lord, to Thee
We therefore will address;
Thy deeds proclaim, till all the world
Thy mercies shall confess.
PSALM XV. (Sicilian Mariner.)
THO shall to Thy chosen seat
Turn in glad approach his feet?
Who, great God, a welcome guest
On Thy hallow'd mountain rest?
2 He whose heart Thy love has warm'd;
He whose will to Thine conform'd;
Bids his life unsullied run;
He whose thought and word are one.
3 He who ne'er with cruel aim
Seeks to wound an honest fame;
Nor with gloomy joy possess'd
Can a brother's peace molest.
4 Who, with meek humility,
Seeks the praise which comes from Thee;
And to each who Thee obeys,
Love and lowliest rev'rence pays :
5 He who thus, with heart unstain'd,
Treads the path by Thee ordain'd;
He, great God, shall own Thy care,
And Thy constant blessing share.
PSALM XIX. (Banbury.)
HE spacious firmament on high,
With all the blue ethereal sky,
And spangled heav'ns, a shining frame,
Their great Original proclaim.
Th' unwearied sun, from day to day,
Does his Creator's pow'r display,
And publishes to every land
The work of an Almighty Hand.
2 Soon as the ev'ni, shades prevail,
The moon takes up the wond'rous tale,
And nightly to the list'ning earth,
Repeats the story of her birth;
Whilst all the stars that round her burn,
And all the planets in their turn,
Confirm the tidings as they roll,
And spread the truth from pole to pole.
3 What, tho' in solemn silence all
Move round the dark terrestrial ball;
What, tho' no real voice or sound
Amid their radiant orbs be found :
In reason's ear they all rejoice,
And utter forth a glorious voice;
For ever singing, as they shine,
"The hand that made us is divine!"
PSALM XXIII. —(Surrey.)
HE Lord my pasture shall prepare,
And feed me with a shepherd's care;
His presence shall my wants supply,
And guard me with a watchful eye.
My noon-day walks He shall attend,
And all my midnight hours defend.
2 When in the sultry glebe I faint,
Or on the thirsty mountain pant,
To fertile vales and dewy meads
My weary wand'ring steps he leads:
Where peaceful rivers, soft and slow,
Amid the verdant landscape flow.
3 Tho' in the paths of death I tread,
With gloomy horrors overspread,
My stedfast heart shall fear no ill,
For Thou, O Lord, art with me still :
Thy friendly crook shall give me aid,
And guide me through the dreadful shade.
4 Though in a bare and rugged way,
Thro' devious lonely wilds I stray,
Thy bounty shall my pains beguile;
The barren wilderness shall smile
With sudden greens and herbage crown'd,
And streams shall murmur all around.
PSALM XXIV.-(1 Foundling.)
IFT up your heads, eternal Gates,
Lift up to entertain
The King of Glory: see! He comes
With His celestial train.
"Who is the King of Glory? Who?"
The Lord for strength renown'd,
In battle mighty, o'er His foes
Triumphant Victor crown'd.
2 Lift up your heads, eternal Gates, Lift up to entertain
The King of Glory: see! He comes
With his celestial train.
"Who is the King of Glory? Who?
The Lord of Hosts renown'd;
Th' ascending Saviour! He is King,
He is with glory crown'd.
PSALM XXV.-(2 Spooner.)
O Thee, O Lord, my God!
I lift my heart and voice:
And shall I disappointed mourn?
And shall my foes rejoice?
Thy saving truth bestow;
Conduct me in Thy way;
God of my Hope! in Thee alone
I trust the live-long day.
Thy mercies oft vouchsaf'd,
Thy love recall to mind:
Continue to Thy servant still,
As Thou wert ever kind.
Be blotted from Thy book:
In mercy, through redeeming love,
On me in mercy look.
The righteous Lord displays,
In bringing wand'ring sinners home,
In teaching them His ways.
His faithful justice guides
All, who his guidance seek;
And in the paths of glory leads
The humble, and the meek.
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