I

2

3

4

5

This did thine ancient prophets teach,
And this thy well-beloved preach.

xcv. PSALM LI. Long Met. WATTS.

A penitential Supplication.

ORGIVE me, God, my God forgive;
Let a relenting finner live;

FO

Are not thy mercies large and free?
May not repentance fly to thee?

My fins are great, but not exceed
The mercy which I lowly plead;
Great God, thy nature hath no bound,
So may thy pardoning love be found.

Fain would I rise on hope fublime,
But confcience flings me back my crime.
Here at my heart the burden lies,
With terror past offences rife.

With fhame my erring life I trace, With fhame thy much indulgent grace; And should thy judgment prove severe, I am condemned, but thou art clear.

But where a heart renewed is found,
Delighted mercy smiles around.

So be my heart renewed to thee,
And fo may mercy fmile on me.

XCVI. PSALM LI. Short Met. UNKNOWN.

The fame.

AVE mercy, Lord, on me,
Accept my better mind,

I

HA

And

2

3

4

And let me, touched with sense of guilt,
Thy wonted mercy find.

Remit th' offence I've given,
And rescue me from fin;
For painfully, at length, I wish

Thy forfeit grace to win.

My fpirit dreads to meet

A God in angry view:

Oh work in me a heart that's clean,
An upright mind renew.

The joy thy favour yields

May I anew obtain ;

And may I ne'er in thought or deed
Offend my God again.

XCVII. PSALM LIII. Long Met. MERRICK. Danger the Summons to Reformation.

2

3

4

H' eternal monarch from on high
On Britain's children caft his eye,

TH

If haply fome he yet might fee
From fin's contagious influence free.

Who midst infectious times have stood Unftained, and obftinately good.

He looked, but ah! too few could find To virtue's heaven-taught rules inclined.

Each, led from wifdom's path aftray, Purfues the tenor of his way.

What frenzy thus their foul could blind? From God and goodness turn their mind?

But fee, their thoughts in tumult roll, Surrounding terrors fhake their foul.

Such

5

6

Such is the doom that all must prove,
Whom God abandons from his love.

Thou, Lord, alone to Britain's eyes
Canft bid fweet reformation rife;
Religion's mild and healing ray
Extend, and round us pour the day.

The bleft event to Britain's fhore Her fongs of triumph fhall restore,

And all her fons, thro' heaven's wide frame, Loud echoing, fhall her joy proclaim.

XCVIII. PSALM LV. Long Met. MERRICK. Peevish Difcontent at GOD's Forbearance reproved.

OH

H who fhall give me, thus my breast Its poor inquietude expreffed, The dove's light wing, that thro' the air A wretched fugitive may bear?

Remove me far from ill to dwell Within the rock's fequeftered cell? Or in the defart's lone retreat

Difgufted fix my lafting feat?

To crime each heart, and hand, and tongue Is given; and tumult, ftrife and wrong Where'er I turn, before my eyes

In giant forms terrific rife.

Within their walls' unhallowed bound, By day, by night, they take their round, And their polluted streets still hear The din of riot, guilt and fear.

Thus, fired with feeming zeal for God, The path of discontent I trod.

Alas!

6

I

2

Alas! if mercy bear with fin,
Shall peevish righteousness repine?

The ways of Providence impeach?
And wisdom to my Maker teach?
'Tis mine to tread in duty's road,
And leave the fate of fin to God.

XCIX.

PSALM LV. Short Met.

Acquiefcence in GOD's Forbearance towards Sinners.

L

ET finners take their course, And chuse the path of ill; Mine be the part to please my God, And anfwer all his will.

I leave events to God,

The world with temper view, Bear with the ills I cannot mend,

And all the good pursue.

I

They have their choice, and fo have I,

Then let me not repine.

c. PSALM LVII. Long Met. WATTS. Praife to GOD.

E thou exalted, O my God,

BE

Above the heavens where angels dwell! Thy power on earth be known abroad, And land to land thy wonders tell!

2 My heart is fixt; my fong fhall raise Deserved honours to thy name;

Awake

3

4

5

2

3

Awake my tongue to found his praise,
My tongue, the glory of my frame.

In thee, my God, are all the fprings
Of boundless love, and grace unknown;
All the rich gifts that nature brings,
Are gifts defcending from thy throne.
Wide o'er the earth thy goodness reigns,
And reaches to the utmoft fky;

Thy truth to endless years remains
When lower worlds diffolve and die.

Be thou exalted, O my God,
Above the heavens where angels dwell;
Thy power on earth be known abroad,
And land to land thy wonders tell.

CI.

PSALM LVII. Long Met.
No Friendship but with GOD and good Men.
GOD, my beft, my trueft friend,
Thy guardian prefence ftill extend;
Protect me from the world, and fhed
Thy holy peace around my head.

What fnares have in my way been ftrewed,
To tempt me from the path of good,
To lay my stubborn virtue low,
And all my hopes in thee o'erthrow.

In guise of friendship they defigned
The ruin of my nobler mind.
Friendship in fin! abused name!
'Tis only patnership of fhame.

4 Give me the man to God allied,
With him I will my heart divide.

Cemented