Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB

Why is its beauty thus defac'd?
Why are its fences thus laid wafte?
Its fruit expos'd befide the way,
To each rapacious hand a prey!
6 Return, O God, thy face incline;
Return, and vifit this thy vine;
Turn us to thee, thy face difplay,
And grief and fear fhall fly away.

WATTS and MERRICK.

Pfalm LXXXI. Short Metre. [*] Spiritual Blefings and Punifoments.

ING to the Lord, aloud,

SING

God is our ftrength, our Saviour God,
Let Ifrael hear his voice.

2 "From vile idolatry,
Preferve my worship clean;
I am the Lord who fet thee free
From flavery and fin.

3 "Stretch thy defires abroad,
And I'll fupply them well;
But if ye will refufe your God,
If Ifrael will rebel,

4 "I'll leave them, faith the Lord,
To their own lufts a prey;

And let them run the dangerous road, 'Tis their own chofen way.

5

"Yet, O that all my faints

Would hearken to my voice;

Soon would I ease their fore complaints,
And make their hearts rejoice.

K

6 "Whilft I deftroy their foes,

I'd richly feed my flock;

And they thould tafte the stream that flows From their eternal Rock.”

WATTS

Plaim LXXXII. Common Metre. [

Warning to Magifirates.

OD in the great aflembly stands,
And, with impartial eye,

Beholds how rulers use their power,
And does their actions try.

2 When justice reigns, and right prevails,
The Judge their virtue loves;
But when iniquity abounds,

Their deeds he difapproves.

3 The faithful voice of confcience fpeaks In filence to their mind;

4

"How long will ye unjustly judge,
And be to finners kind?

"Protect the humble, help the poor,
The fatherlefs defend;

Dare not the widow to opprefs,

And be the fufferer's friend.

5 "Remember, tho' your feat is high,
Your title Gods on earth,

Your heads must in the grave be laid,
Like men of humble birth.

6 "Your public acts and private deeds
Will into judgment come;

And from my lips muft each receive
The most impartial doom.”

7 Arife, O God, thy facred truth
Thro' all the earth display;
Till every nation fhall behold
And own thy righteous fway.

Altered from TATE.

Pfalm LXXXIII. Short Metre. [b] Complaint against Perfecutors.

AND will the God of

grace

Perpetual filence keep?

When bloody men, more fierce than wolves, Devour his harmless sheep?

2 Against thy feeble flock

Their counfels they employ ;
And malice with her watchful eye
Purfues them, to destroy.

3 "Come, let us join, they fay,
To extirpate the race;
Till dark oblivion fhall prevail,
Their mem'ry to efface."
4 Awake, Almighty God,
And difappoint their aim;
Make them like chaff before the wind,
Or ftubble to the flame.

Then fhall the nations know,
That glorious, faithful word,
"No human counfels or device
Can ftand against the Lord."

Altered from WATTS.

Pfalm LXXXIV. Long Metre. [*]

The Pleafure of Public Worship.

REAT God, attend, while Zion fings
The joy that frora thy prefence fprings;

To fpend one day with thee on earth, Exceeds a thousand days of mirth. 2 The fparrow chooses where to reft, And for her young provides a neft; But will my God to fparrows grant Those pleasures which his children want? 3 Might I enjoy the meanest place Within thy houfe, O God of grace; Not tents of ease, nor thrones of power, Should tempt me to defert thy door. 4 God is our Sun, he makes our day; God is our Shield, he guards our way From all th' affaults of hell and fin, From foes without, and foes within. 5. All needful grace will God bestow, And crown that grace with glory too; He gives us all things, and withholds No real good from upright fouls. 6 Bleft are the men, whofe ftedfaft mind To Zion's gate is ftill inclin'd;

God is their ftrength, and through the road,
They lean upon their helper, GOD.

Cheerful they walk with growing ftrength,
Till all fhall meet in heaven at length;
Till all before thy face appear,

And join in nobler worfhip there.

WATTS.

Pfalm LXXXIV. Firft Part. C. M. [*]

Delight in Divine Ordinances.

Y heart and flesh cry out for thee,

MY While far from thine abode;

When fhall I tread thy courts, and fee
My Saviour and my God!

2 To fit one day beneath thine eye,
And hear thy gracious voice,
Exceeds a thousand days employ'd
In fin's voluptuous joys.

3 Much rather in God's houfe, would I
The meaneft office take,
Than in the wealthy tents of fin
My fplendid dwelling make.

4 For God, who is our Sun and Shield,
Will grace and glory give;
And no good thing will he withhold
From them who justly live.

5

O God, whom heavenly hofts obey,
How highly bleft is he,

Whofe hope and truft, fecurely plac'd,
Are ftill repos'd on thee!

6 O could I o'er the fpacious land
And fea extend my fway,

For one bleft hour at thy right hand,

I'd give them both away.

TATE and WATTS.

Pfalm LXXXIV. Second Part.C.M.[*]

[ocr errors]

Delight in Divine Ordinances.

LORD, how worthy of our love
Is that delightful place,

Where we can meet to pray and hear
Thy word of truth and grace!

2 Our longing foul faints with defire
To tread that blest abode;

Our panting heart and flesh cry out
For thee, the living God.

« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »