They fly, forgotten as the dream
That dies at opening day.

3 Like flowers the crowded nations stand,
Pleased with the morning light,

The flowers beneath the mower's hand
Lie withered ere 'tis night.

4 Our God, our help in ages paft,
Our hope for years to come,

Be thou our guide while life does last,
And our eternal home.

CXXXIV. PSALM XC. Com. Met. WATTS.

I

T

The fame.

HE hours of life, how swift they fly!
Uncertain, vain and few!

The morning fun falutes our eye,

No evening fun we view.

2 Rare is the man, whofe days amount
To threescore years and ten;
And all beyond that short account
Is forrow, toil and pain.

3 Yet God, who human life ordained,
Is man's benignant friend;
And he has length of life attained,
Who keeps in view its end.

4 O may we learn this heavenly art
T'improve the hours we have,
Through life pursue the virtuous part,
And live beyond the grave.

PSALM

CXXXV. PSALM XC. Short Met. WATTS.

I

2

3

4

5

I

The fame.

ORD, what a feeble piece
Is this our mortal frame?

Our life how poor a trifle 'tis,

That fcarce deferves the name!

Alafs, the brittle clay

That built our body first!

And every month, and every day,
Is mouldering back to duft.

Our moments fly apace,
Our fondeft hopes betray;

Juft like a flood our hafty days

Are sweeping us away.

Well, if our days muft fly,

We'll keep their end in fight,

We'll spend them all in wifdom's way,
And let them speed their flight.

They'll waft us fooner o'er
This life's tempestuous fea;

Soon fhall we reach the peaceful shore
Of bleft eternity.

CXXXVI. PSALM XC. Com. Met. PITT.

The fame.

AN at thy fummons, mighty Lord,
This tranfient ftate muft leave,

MAN

And quit the bufy fcenes of life,
To fleep within the grave.

2 Swift

2. Swift from the barrier to the goal His life impetuous flies;

Gay, fleeting, like the tender flower
That blooms, and droops, and dies.
In early morn it vigorous grows,
And proudly lifts its head;
At noon it fickens, evening dies,
And withers in the mead.

4 O teach us, Lord, if few our days,
And rapid be their race,

To measure every hour of time
By wifdom, and by grace.

CXXXVII. PSALM XC. Long Met. TOLLET.

I

A

The fame.

steep

Roll their fwift currents to the deep;
As vifions of the flumbering eye

Which vanish, when the flumbers fly.

2 As flowers which rife in morning's pride, And fade, if the cold evening chide : So rapidly our moments fly

3

4

Adown the steep of time, and die.

Full feventy years a favoured few The joyful light of day may view, A rarer few perhaps attain

To ten years more, but years of pain.

But quick the hafty hours roll on,
And the last hour of life is gone.
Well, let them go! 'tis thy decrée ;
Well! if they lead us, Lord, to thee.

5 O God,

5

O God, affift me to impart

Thy facred wifdom to my heart ;-
While meek content, and virtuous joy
All my fucceffive hours employ.

cxxxvIII. PSALM XC. C. M. DODDRIDge.

I

O

For a New Year's Day.

Bferve, my foul, the narrow bounds
Of the revolving year!

How fwift the weeks complete their rounds!
How fhort the months appear!

2 So faft eternity comes on,

And that important day,

When all that mortal man has done
The Judge of man fhall weigh.
3 Yet like an idle tale we pafs
The swift progreffive year;
And are ingenious to increase
The speed of its career..

4

.5

Waken, O God, each trifling heart,
Its great concern to fee;

That we may act the chriftian part,

And give the year to thee.

So fhall their courfe more grateful roll,

If future years arise;

Or this fhall bear the pious foul

To joy, that never dies.

@XXXIX. PSALM XCI. Com. Met. STEELE.

Truft in Providence, humble, yet cheerful.

M

Y God, my Father, blissful found!
It bids my forrows fly;

I know no ill, no ill can wound,
Beneath my Father's eye.

2 Whate'er thy providence denies,
I calmly would refign;

For thou art juft, and good, and wife,
O bend my will to thine.
3. Whate'er thy facred will ordains,
O give me ftrength to bear;
Still may I know a Father reigns,
And truft a Father's care.

4

If pain and fickness rend this frame,
And life almoft depart,

Still is thy mercy, God, the fame,
To cheer my drooping heart.

5 Thy ways are deep, and little known
To my weak erring fight;
This is my faith, nor mine alone,
That all thy ways are right.

6 My God, my Father, blifsful name!
Above expreffion dear!

I

If thou accept my humble claim,
I bid adieu to fear.

CXL. PSALM XCI. Com. Met. STEELE.

A

The fame, with Refignation.

RE health and ease my portion here?
Thankful, my God, to thee,

May health and eafe the more endear
Thy righteous will to me.

2 And when I view life's varied scene,
Amidft its darkest hours,

Abundant