8 Let finners join to break your peace,
And plot, and rage, and foam;
The Lord derides them, for he fees
Their day of vengeance come.
9 They have drawn out the threatning sword,
Have bent the murd'rous bow,
To lay the men that fear the Lord,
And bring the righteous low."
10 My God fhall break their bows, and burn
Their perfecuting darts,
Shall their own fwords against them turn;
And pain furprise their hearts.
PSALM XXXVII. 16, 21, 26–31. Second part.
Charity to the poor: or, Religion in words and deeds.
7HY do the wealthy wicked boast,
And grow profanely bold?
The meaneft portion of the juft,
Excels the finner's gold.
2 The wicked borrows of his friends,
But ne'er designs to pay;
The faint is merciful and lends,
Nor turns the poor away.
3 His alms with lib'ral heart he gives
Amongst the fons of need;
His mem❜ry to long ages lives,
And bleffed is his feed.
4 His lips abhor to talk profane,
To flander or defraud;
His ready tongue declares to men
What he has learn'd of God.
3 The law and gospel of the Lord
Deep in his heart abides
Led by the Spirit and the word,
His feet fhall never flide.
6 When finners fall, the righteous stand
Preferv'd from ev'ry inare,
They fhall poffefs the promis'd land,.
And dwell for ever there.
PSALM XXXVII. 23-37. Third part.
The way and end of the righteous and wicked.
Y God, the fteps of pious men
Are order'd by thy will;
Tho' they should fall they rife again,
Thy hand supports them ftill..
2. The Lord delights to fee their ways,
Their virtue he approves;
He'll ne'er deprive them of his grace,
Nor leave the man he loves..
3 The heav'nly heritage is theirs,
Their portion and their home;
He feeds them now, and makes them heirs
Of bleffings long to come.
4 Wait on the Lord, ye fons of men,
Nor fear when tyrants frown;
Ye fhall confefs their pride was vain
When justice cafts them down.
5 The haughty finner have I feen,.
Nor fearing man nor God,
Like a tall bay-tree fair and green,
Spreading his arms abroad.
6 And lo, he vanish'd from the ground,
Destroy'd by hands unfeen;
Nor root, nor branch, nor leaf was found
Where all that pride had been.
7 But mark the man of righteousness,
His fev'ral steps attend;
True pleasure runs thro' all his ways,
And peaceful is his end.
PSALM XXXVIII.
Guilt of Confcience and relief: or, Repentance and prayer for pardon and health.
MIDST thy wrath remember love,
Reftore thy fervant, Lord,
Nor let a Father's chaftning prove
Like an avenger's fword.
2 Thine arrows ftick within my heart,
My flesh is forely prest;
Between the forrow and the fmart
My fpirit finds no reft.
3 My fins a heavy load appear,
And o'er my head are gone;
Too heavy they for me to bear,
Too hard for me t'atone.
4 My thoughts are like a troubled fea,
My head ftill bending down;
And I go mourning all the day,
Beneath my Father's frown.
5 Lord, I am weak and broken fore,
None of my pow'rs are whole;
The inward anguifh makes me roar,
The anguifh of my foul.
All my defire to thee is known,
Thine eye counts ev'ry tear,"
And ev'ry figh, and ev'ry groan,
Is notic'd by thine ear.
7 Thou art my God, my only hope,
My God will hear my cry,
My God will bear my spirit up,
When Satan bids me die.
8 [My foot is ever apt to slide,
My foes rejoice to fee't;
They raite their pleasure and their pride,
When they fupplant my feet,
9 But I'll confefs my guilt to thee,
And grieve for all my fio;
I'll mourn, how weak my graces be,
And beg fupport divine.
10 My God, forgive my follies past,
And be for ever nigh;
O Lord of my falvation hafte,
Before thy fervant die.]
PSALM XXXIX. 1, 2, 3. First part.
Watchfulness over the tongue: or, Prudence and zeal.
THUS I refolv'd before the Lord,
'TH "Now will I watch my tongue,
"Left I let flip one finful word,
"Or do my neighbour wrong.",
2 And if I'm e'er constrain'd to stay
With men of lives profane,
I'll fet a double guard that day,
Nor let my talk be vain.
3 I'll scarce allow my lips to fpeak
The pious thoughts I feel,
Left fcoffers fhould th' occafion take
To mock my holy zeal.
4 Yet if fome proper hour appear,
I'll not be overaw'd,
But let the fcoffing finners hear,
That we can speak for God.
PSALM XXXIX. 4, 5, 6, 7. Second part.
The vanity of man as mortal.
EACH me the measure of my days,
Thou Maker of my frame;
I would furvey life's narrow space,
And learn how frail I am.
2 A fpan is all that we can boast,
An inch or two of time;
Man is but vanity and duft
In all his flow'r and prime.
See the vain race of mortals move
Like fhadows o'er the plain,
They rage and ftrive, defire and love,
But all the noise is vain,
4 Some walk in honour's gaudy fhow,
Some dig for golden ore,
They toil for heirs they know not who,
And straight are feen no more.
5 What should I wish or wait for then
From creatures, earth and duft,
They make our expectations vain,
And difappoint our trust.
6 Now I forbid my carnal hope,
My fond defires recal!
I give my mortal int'reft up,
And make my God my all.
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