5 The barren clods, refresh'd with rain,
Promise a joyful crop;
The parching grounds look green again,
And raife the reaper's hope.
6 The various months thy goodness crowns,
How bounteous are thy ways!
The bleating flocks fpread o'er the downs,
And shepherds fhout thy praise.
PSALM LXVI. First Part.
Governing power and goodness; or, Our grace tried by afflictions.
ING, all ye nations, to the Lord,
Sing with a joyful noife;
With melody of found record
His honours and your joys.
2 Say to the Pow'r that shakes the sky,
"How terrible art thou:
"Sinners before thy prefence fly,
"Or at thy feet they bow."
3 [Come, fee the wonders of our God,
How glorious are his ways?
In Mofes's hand he puts his rod,
And cleaves the frighted seas.
4 He made the ebbing channel dry,
While Ifra'l pafs'd the flood;
There did the church begin their joy,
And triumph in their God.]
5 He rules by his refiftless might;
Will rebel mortal dare
Provoke th' Eternal to the fight,
And tempt that dreadful war?
6 O blefs our God, and never ceafe;
Ye faints, fulfil his praise;
He keeps our life, maintains our peace,
And guides our doubtful ways.
7 Lord, thou haft prov'd our fuff'ring fouls, To make our graces shine;
So filver bears the burning coals,
The metal to refine.
8 Thro' watry deeps and fiery ways
We march at thy command,
Led to poffefs the promis'd place
By thine unerring hand.
PSALM LXVI. 13-20. Second Part.
Praife to God for hearing prayer.
OW fhall my folemn vows be paid
To that almighty Pow'r,
That heard the long requests I made
In my diftressful hour.
2 My lips and chearful heart prepare
To make his mercies known;
Come ye that fear my God, and hear
The wonders he has done.
When on my head huge forrows fell,
I fought his heav'nly aid;
He fav'd my finking foul from hell,
And death's eternal shade.
4 If fin lay cover'd in my heart
While pray'r employ'd my tongue,
The Lord had fhewn me no regard,
Nor 1 his praifes lung.
But God (his name be ever bleft)
Has fet my spirit free,
Nor turn'd from him my poor requeft,
Nor turn'd his heart from me.
PSALM LXVII.
The nation's profperity, and the church's increafe, HINE, mighty God, on Britain fhine With beams of heav'nly grace;
Reveal thy pow'r thro' all our coafts,
And fhew thy fmiling face.
2 [Amidst our isle exalted high
Do thou our glory stand,
And like a wall of guardian fire
Surround the fav'rite land.]
3 When fhall thy name from fhore to shore
Sound all the earth abroad,
And distant nations know and love
Their Saviour and their God?
4 Sing to the Lord, ye diftant lands,
Sing loud with folemn, voice;
While British tongues exalt his praife,
And British hearts rejoice.
5 He, the great Lord, the fov'teign Judge,
That fits enthron'd above,
Wifely commands the worlds he made,
In justice and in love.
6 Earth fhall obey her Maker's will,
And yield a full increase;
Our God will crown his chofen ifle
With fruitfulness and peace.
7 God the Redeemer fcatters round
His choiceft favours here,
While the creation's utmost bound.
Shall fee, adore, and fear.
PSALM LXVIII. Firft Part. 1,—6, 32,--35.
The vengeance and compaffion of God.
LET God arife in all his might,
And put the troops of hell to flight;
As fmoke that fought to cloud the skies
Before the rifing tempest flies.
2 [He comes array'd in burning flames;
Juftice and vengeance are his names;
Behold his fainting foes expire
Like melting wax before the fire.]
3 He rides and thunders thro' the sky;
His name Jehovah founds on high:
Sing to his name, ye fons of
grace;
Ye faints rejoice before his face.
4 The widow and the fatherless
Fly to his aid in sharp diftrefs!
In him the poor and helpless find
A Judge that's juft, a Father kind.
5 He breaks the captive's heavy chain,
And pris'ners fee the light again;
But rebels that dispute his will,
Shall dwell in chains and darkness still.
6 Kingdoms and thrones to God belong;
Crown him ye nations, in your fong:
His wond'rous names and pow'rs rehearse;
His honours fhall enrich your verse.
7. He shakes the heav'ns with loud alarms;
How terrible is God in arms!
In Ifra'l are his mercies known,
Ifra'l is his peculiar throne.
8 Proclaim him King, pronounce him bleft;
He's your defence, your joy, your reft;
When terrors rise, and nations faint,
God is the strength of ev'ry faint.
PSALM LXVIII. 17, 18. Second Part.
Chrift's afcenfion, and the gift of the Spirit.
LORD, when thou didft afcend on high,
Ten thoufand angels fill'd the sky;
Those heav'nly guards around thee wait,
Like chariots that attend thy state.
2 Not Sinai's mountain could appear
More glorious when the Lord was there;
While he pronounc'd his dreadful law,
And struck the chofen tribes with awe.
3 How bright the triumph none can tell,
When the rebellious pow'rs of hell,
That thoufand fouls had captive made,
Were all in chains like captives led.
Rais'd by his Father to the throne,
He fent the promis'd Spirit down,
With gifts and grace for rebel men,
That God might dwell on earth again.
PSALM LXVIII. Third Part. 19, 9, 20, 21, 22. Praife for temporal bleffings; or, Common and fpecial mercies.
E blefs the Lord, the Juft, the good, Who fills our hearts with joy and food; Who pours his bleffings from the skies, And loads our days with rich fupplies. 2 He fends the fun his circuit round,. To chear the fruits, to warm the ground;
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