r THER "At Edinburgh, 1ft June 1781, Self. 8. HERE was produced, read, and agreed to by the General Affembly, the Report of the Committee concerning the Tranflations and Paraphrafes, in verfe, of "Several paffages of Sacred Scripture, which had been prepared by a Committee of a former Affembly; and the “General Assembly, in terms of said report, did, and hereby do, appoint thefe Translations and Paraphrafes "to be tranfmitted to the feveral Prefbyteries of this "Church, in order that they may report their opinion "concerning them to the enfuing General Assembly; "and in the mean time, they allow this Collection of "Sacred Poems to be used in public worship, in con"gregations where the Minister finds it for edification. "The General Affembly likewife renew the appointment " of the Committee; with power to judge of any cor"rections or alterations of thefe poems that may be "fuggefted previous to their tranfmiffion; and with di “rection to cause a proper number of copies, with fuch "corrections as they approve, to be printed, for the "confideration of Prefbyteries, and for public ufe. They ordain the expence already incurred by printing "this Collection for the infpection of the Members of *this Affembly to be defrayed out of the public funds "of the Church. And in order to prevent it from being afterwards printed in a careless and incorrect manner, they authorise and appoint the Printer to the "Church to print and publish it for fale, under the "direction of the Committee. And that he may be "enabled to fell the copies at a moderate price, the Ge"neral Affembly did, and hereby do, grant to him the "exclufive privilege of printing and publishing this "Collection of Tranflations and Paraphrafes for the term of five years *." Extracted by JOHN DRYSDALE Cl. Eccl. Scot. The General Affembly, by an Act in the year 1786, renewed their Grant for Nine Years from that date. TRAN TRANSLATIONS AND PARAPHRASES, L IN VERSE, OF SEVERAL PASSAGES OF SACRED SCRIPTURE. I. GENESIS, i. I. I. ET heav'n arife, let earth appear, The heav'n arofe, the earth appear'd, II. Thick darkness brooded o'er the deep: God faid, "Let there be light;" The light fhone forth with fmiling ray, and scatter'd ancient night. III. He bade the clouds afcend on high; A watʼry treasure to the sky, t Α IV IV. The liquid element below V. With herbs, and plants, and fruitful trees, the new-form'd globe he crown'd, Ere there was rain to bless the soil, or fun to warm the ground. VI. Then high in heav'n's refplendent arch he plac'd two orbs of light; He fet the fun to rule the day, the moon to rule the night. VII. Next, from the deep, th' Almighty King did vital beings frame; Fowls of the air, of every wing, and fifh of every name. VIII. To all the various brutal tribes fprung from the teeming earth. IX. Then, chief o'er all his works below, - at laft was Adam made; His Maker's image blefs'd his foul, and glory crown'd his head. X. Fair in th' Almighty Maker's eye II. GENESIS, XXviii: 20-22. I. God of Bethel! by whofe hand Who thro' this weary pilgrimage II. Our vows, our pray'rs, we now present before thy throne of grace: God of our fathers! be the God of their fucceeding race. III. Through each perplexing path of life our wand'ring footsteps guide; Give us each day our daily bread, and raiment fit provide. IV. O fpread thy cov❜ring wings around, V. Such bleffings from thy gracious hand our humble pray'rs implore; And thou fhalt be our chofen God, and portion evermore. NA III. JOB, i. 21, I. AKED as from the earth we came, and enter'd life at first; Naked we to the earth return, and mix with kindred duft. |