2 Lord, shall the wicked still deride
Thy justice and thy power?

Shall they erect their heads in pride,
And better men devour?

3 Arise, O God! lift up thy hand,
Attend our humble cry;

No enemy shall dare to stand,
When God our help is nigh.

4 Thou wilt prepare our hearts to pray,
And still incline thine ear;

Thou knowest what thy children say,
And thou their voice wilt hear.

5 Proud tyrants shall no more oppress,
No more despise the just;
And mighty sinners shall confess
They are but earth and dust

PSALM XI. Long Metre.
The Justice of Divine Providence.

1 ON God my steadfast hopes rely;
Why do my foes insulting cry,

WATTS.

b

"Fly like a timorous, trembling dove, "And seek the mountain's lonesome grove.”

2 Behold the wicked aim their darts Against the men of upright hearts! If government be overthrown,

Who then the injur'd cause will own? s The Lord, enthron'd above the sky, On suffering virtue casts his eye; Though he afflict his saints, to prove Their patience, and to try their love

4 Yet lawless hands and hearts impure,
His frowns vindictive will endure ;
His lightning wings its rapid way,
His thunder fills them with dismay.

5 Where truth and justice hold their place,
God will reveal his gracious face;
Delighted, in the upright mind
His own reflected beams to find.

MERRICK with additions.

PSALM XII.

Common Metre.

b

Corruption of Manners.

1 HELP, Lord! for men of virtue fail,
Religion loses ground;

The sons of wickedness prevail,
And treacheries abound.

2 Their oaths and promises they break,
Yet act the flatterer's part;
With fair deceitful lips they speak,
And with a double heart.

3 Scoffers appear on every side,
Where a vile race of men
Are rais'd to seats of power and pride,
And bear the sword in vain.

4 Lord, when iniquities abound,
And blasphemy grows bold;
When faith is hardly to be found,
And love is waxen cold;

5 Is not thy chariot hastening on?
Hast thou not given the sign?
May we not trust and live upon
A promise so divine?

6 Thy word, like silver seven times tried,
Through ages shall endure;
The men who in thy truth confide,
Shall find the promise sure.

WATTS.

PSALM XIII. Common Metre. b
Complaint under Temptation.

1 HOW long wilt thou conceal thy face?
My God, how long delay ?
When wilt thou send thy heavenly rays
To drive my fears away?

2 How long shall my distressed soul
Struggle and toil in vain ?

Thy word can all my foes control,
And ease my raging pain.

3 Be thou my sun, and thou my shield,
My soul in safety keep;

Make haste, before my eyes are seal'd
In death's eternal sleep.

4 How would the tempter boast aloud,
If I become his prey,

And all the host of hell grow proud
At thy so long delay!

5 But they shall fly at thy rebuke,
And Satan hide his head;
He knows the terrors of thy look,
And hears thy voice with dread.
6 Thou wilt display that sovereign grace
On which my hopes have hung;
I shall employ my lips in praise,
And victory shall be sung.

WATTS.

PSALM XIV. Common Metre. b
Universal Depravity.

1 FOOLS in their hearts believe and say,
"That all religion's vain :

"There is no God that reigns on high,
"Or minds th' affairs of men."

2 From thoughts so dreadful and profane
Corrupt discourse proceeds;

And by their impious hands are done
Abominable deeds.

3 The Lord, from his celestial throne,
Look'd down on things below,

To find the men that sought his grace,
Or did his justice know.

4 He saw that all were gone astray,
Their practice all the same;
That none did fear his Maker's hand,
That none did love his name.

5 Their tongues are us'd to speak deceit,
Their slanders never cease,

How swift to mischief are their feet,
Nor know the paths of peace!

6 Such seeds of sin, that bitter root,
In every heart are found;

Nor will they bear diviner fruit
Till grace refine the ground.

WATTS.

PSALM XV. Common Metre. * or b
The Citizen of Zion.

1 LORD, who's the happy man that may
To thy blest courts repair?

And whilst he bows before thy throne,
Shall find acceptance there?

2 'Tis he, whose truly honest heart By rules of virtue moves;

Whose generous tongue disdains to speak The thing his heart disproves.

3 Who never will a slander forge, His neighbour's fame to wound; Nor hearken to a false report,

By malice whisper'a round.

4 Who vice, when drest in pomp and power,
Can treat with just neglect;
And piety, though cloth'd in rags,
Religiously respect.

5 Who to his plighted vows and trust
Has ever firmly stood;

And though he promise to his loss,
He makes his promise good.

6 Who seeks not in oppressive ways
His treasure to employ ;

Whom no reward can ever bribe
The guiltless to destroy.

The man, who by his steady course

Has happiness insur'd,

When earth's foundations shake, shall stand,

By Providence secur'd.

PSALM XV.

TATE.

The Virtues of a Christian.

1 WHO shall ascend thy heavenly place,
Great God, and dwell before thy face?
The man who loves religion now,
And humbly walks with God below.

2 Whose hands are pure, whose heart is clean, Whose lips still speak the thing they mean;