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THE

PSALMS OF DAVID, IN METRE.

PSALM I.

"OW blest is he, who ne'er consents by ill advice to walk,

Nor stands in sinner's ways, nor sits where men profanely talk;

2 But makes the perfect law of God his business and delight; Devoutly reads therein by day,

and meditates by night.

9 "Thy threatening sceptre thou shalt shake,

"and crush them every where; "As massy bars of iron break "the potter's brittle ware."

10 Learn then, ye princes; and give ear ye judges of the earth;

11 Worship the Lord with holy fear; rejoice with awful mirth.

3 Like some fair tree, which, fed by 12 Appease the Son, with due respect

streams,

with timely fruit does bend,

He still shall flourish, and success all his designs attend.

4 Ungodly men, and their attempts, no lasting root shall find;

Untimely blasted,and dispersed like chaff before the wind.

your timely homage pay; Lest he revenge the bold neglect, incensed by your delay.

13 If but in part his anger rise, who can endure the flame? Then blest are they, whose hope relies on his most holy name. PSALM 3.

5 Their guilt shall strike the wicked dumb HOW many, Lord, of late are grown

before their Judge's face:

No formal hypocrite shall then among the saints have place.

6 For God approves the just man's ways; to happiness they tend:

But sinners, and the paths they tread, shall both in ruin end.

PSALM 2.

WITH restless and ungovern'd rage,

why do the heathen storm? Why in such rash attempts engage, as they can ne'er perform?

2 The great in council and in might
their various forces bring;
Against the Lord they all unite,
and his anointed King.

3" Must we submit to their commands?" presumptuously they say:

"No, let us break their slavish bands, "and cast their chains away."

4 But God, who sits enthroned on high, and sees how they combine, Does their conspiring strength defy, and mocks their vain design.

5 Thick clouds of wrath divine shall break on his rebellious foes;

And thus will he in thunder speak

to all that dare oppose:

6 Though madly you dispute my will, "the King that I ordain, "Whose throne is fix'd on Sion's hill, shall there securely reign." 7 Attend, O earth, whilst I declare God's uncontroll'd decree: "Thou art my Son; this day, my heir,

have I begotten thee.

8 "Ask, and receive thy full demands;
"thine shall the heathen be;
The utmost limits of the lands
"shall be possess'd by thee

the troublers of my peace! And as their numbers hourly rise, so does their rage increase. 2 Insulting, they my soul upbraid, and him whom I adore;

"The God in whom he trusts," say they "shall rescue him no more."

3 But thou, O Lord, art my defence;
on thee my hopes rely;
Thou art my glory, and shall yet
lift up my head on high.

4 Since whensoe'er, in like distress,
to God I made my prayer,
He heard me from his holy hill;
why should I now despair?

5 Guarded by him, I laid me down
my sweet repose to take;
For I through him securely sleep,
through him in safety wake.
6 No force nor fury of my foes
my courage shall confound,
Were they as many hosts as men,
that have beset me round.

7 Arise, and save me, O my God,
who oft hast own'd my cause,
And scatter'd oft these foes to me,
and to thy righteous laws.

8 Salvation to the Lord belongs; he only can defend:

His blessings he extends to all that on his power depend. PSALM 4.

LORD, thou art my righteous Judge, to my complaint give ear: Thou still redeem'st me from distress: have mercy, Lord, and hear.

2 How long will ye, O sons of men,
to blot my fame devise?
How long your vain designs pursue,
and spread malicious lies?

3 Consider that the rigateous man is God's peculiar choice;

And when to him I make my prayer, he always hears my voice.

4 Then stand in awe of his commands, flee every thing that's ill,

12 To righteous men, the righteous Lord
his blessing will extend;
And with his favour all his saints,
as with a shield, defend.
PSALM 6.

Commune in private with your hearts, dreadful anger, Lord, restrain,

and bend them to his will.

5 The place of other sacrifice let righteousness supply;

And let your hope, securely fix'd, on God alone rely.

6 While worldly minds impatient grow more prosperous times to see; Still let the glories of thy face shine brightly, Lord, on me.

7 So shall my heart o'erflow with joy, more lasting and more true

Than theirs, who stores of corn and wine successively renew.

8 Then down in peace I'll lay my head, and take my needful rest; No other guard, O Lord, I crave, of thy defence possess'd.

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PSALM 5.

ORD, hear the voice of my complaint, accept my secret prayer;

2 To thee alone, my King, my God, will I for help repair.

3 Thou in the morn my voice shalt hear, and with the dawning day

To thee devoutly I'll look up,

to thee devoutly pray.

4 For thou the wrongs that I sustain
canst never, Lord, approve,
Who from thy sacred dwelling-place
all evil dost remove.

5 Not long shall stubborn fools remain unpunish'd in thy view;

All such as act unrighteous things thy vengeance shall pursue.

6 The slandering tongue, O God of truth, by thee shall be destroy'd,

Who hat'st alike the man in blood

and in deceit employ'd.

and spare a wretch forlorn. Correct me not in thy fierce wrath, too heavy to be borne.

2 Have mercy, Lord; for I grow faint unable to endure

The anguish of my aching bones, which thou alone canst cure.

3 My tortured flesh distracts my mind,
and fills my soul with grief:
But, Lord, how long wilt thou delay
to grant me thy relief?

4 Thy wonted goodness, Lord, repea
and ease my troubled soul;
Lord, for thy wondrous mercy's sake,
vouchsafe to make me whole.

5 For after death no more can
thy glorious acts proclaim,
No prisoners of the silent grave
can magnify thy name.

6 Quite tired with pain, with groaning no hope of ease I see;

[faint, The night, that quiets common griefs, is spent in tears by me.

7 My beauty fades, my sight grows dim my eyes with weakness close;

Old age o'ertakes me, whilst I think
on my insulting foes.

8 Depart, ye wicked; in my wrong
ye shall no more rejoice;
For God, I find, accepts my tears,
and listens to my voice.

9, 10 He hears, and grants my humble

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LORD my God, since I have placed my trust alone in thee,

7 But when thy boundless grace shall me From all my persecutors' rage

to thy loved courts restore,

On thee I'll fix my longing eyes, and humbly there adore.

8 Conduct me by thy righteous laws, for watchful is my foe; Therefore, O Lord, make plain the way wherein I ought to go.

9 Their mouth vents nothing but deceit; their heart is set on wrong; Their throat is a devouring grave; they flatter with their tongue. 10 By their own counsels let them fall, oppress'd with loads of sin; For they against thy righteous laws have harden'd rebels been. 11 But let all those who trust in thee, with shouts their joy proclaim; Let them rejoice whom thou preserv'st, and all that love thy naine.

do thou deliver me.

2 To save me from my threatening foe, Lord, interpose thy power; Lest, like a savage lion, he

my helpless soul devour. 8,4 If I am guilty, or did e'er against his peace combine; Nay, if I had not spared his life," who sought unjustly mine; 5 Let then to persecuting foes my soul become a prey; Let them to earth tread down my life, in dust my honour lay.

6 Arise, and let thine anger, Lord,
in my defence engage;
Exalt thyself above my foes.

and their insulting rage: Awake, awake, in my behalf, the judgment to dispense,

Which thou hast righteously ordain'd

for injured innocence.

7 So to thy throne, adoring crowds shall still for justice fly:

Oh! therefore, for their sake, resume thy judgment-seat on high.

8 Impartial Judge of all the world,
I trust my cause to thee;
According to my just deserts,
so let thy sentence be.

9 Let wicked arts and wicked men
together be o'erthrown;

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But guard the just, thou God, to whom' the hearts of both are known. 10, 11 God me protects, not only me, but all of upright heart: And daily lays up wrath for those who from his laws depart.

12 If they persist, he whets his sword, his bow stands ready bent; 13 Ev'n now, with swift destruction his pointed shafts are sent. [wing'd, 14 The plots are fruitless which my foe unjustly did conceive;

15 The pit he digg'd for me, has prov'd his own untimely grave. 16 On his own head his spite returns, Whilst I from harm am free; On him the violence is fallen,

which he design'd for me. 17 Therefore will I the righteous ways of Providence proclaim;

I'll sing the praise of God most high, and celebrate his name.

PSALM 8.

THOU, to whom all creatures bow within this earthly frame, Through all the world how great art thou! how glorious is thy name!

In heaven thy wondrous acts are sung, nor fully reckon'd there;

2 And yet thou mak'st the infant tongue thy boundless praise declare. Thro' thee the weak confound the strong, and crush their haughty foes; And so thou quell'st the wicked throng, that thee and thine oppose.

3 When heaven, thy beauteous work on employs my wondering sight; [high, The moon, that nightly rules the sky, with stars of feebler light;

4 What's man, say I,that,Lord,thou lov'st to keep him in thy mind?

Or what his offspring, that thou prov'st to them so wondrous kind!

5 Him next in power thou didst create to thy celestial train;

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Through all the world how great art throu how glorious is thy name!

PSALM 9.

To celebrate thy praise, O Lord,
I will my heart prepare;

To all the listening world, thy works
thy wondrous works declare.

2 The thought of them shall to my sout exalted pleasures bring;

Whilst to thy name, O thou Most High, triumphant praise I sing.

3 Thou mad'st my haughty foes to turn their backs in shameful flight:

Struck with thy presence, down they fell they perish'd at thy sight.

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4 Against insulting foes advanced, thou didst my cause maintain; My right asserting from thy throne, where truth and justice reign. The insolence of heathen pride thou hast reduced to shame; Their wicked offspring quite destroy'd, and blotted out their name. 6 Mistaken foes, your haughty threats] are to a period come;

Our city stands, which you design'd
to make our common tomb.

7, 8 The Lord for ever lives, who has
his righteous throne prepared,
Impartial justice to dispense,
to punish or reward.

9 God is a constant sure defence
against oppressing rage;

As troubles rise, his needful aids! in our behalf engage.

10 All those who have his goodness prov'd will in his truth confide; Whose mercy ne'er forsook the man that on his help rely'd.

11 Sing praises therefore to the Lord, Proclaint his deeds, till all the world from Sion, his abode;

confess no other God.

PART II.

12 When he inquiry makes for blood,
he'll call the poor to mind:
The injured humble man's complaint
relief from him shall find.
13 Take pity on my troubles, Lord,
which spiteful foes create,
Thou that hast rescued me so oft

from death's devouring gate.
14 In Sion then I'll sing thy praise

to all that love thy name; And, with loud shouts of grateful joy, thy saving power proclaim.

15 Deep in the pit they digg'd for me,] . the heathen pride is laid; Their guilty feet to their own snare are heedlessly betray'd.

16 Thus, by the just return he makes, '. The mighty Lord is known; While wicked men, by their own plots,', are shamefully o'erthrown."

17 No single sinner shall escape, by privacy obscured;

Nor nation, from his just revenge,

And, by the greatness of thy power

defend the poor from harm. 13 No longer let the wicked vaunt, and, proudly boasting, say, dis-"Tush, God regards not what we do; "he never will repay."

by numbers be secured.
18 is suffering saints, when most
he ne'er forgets to aid; [tress'd,
Their expectations shall be crown'd,
though for a time delay'd.

19 Arise, O Lord, assert thy power,
and let not man o'ercone;
Descend to judgment, and pronounce
the guilty heathen's doom.

20 Strike terror thro' the nations round,
till by consenting fear,

They to each other, and themselves, but mortal men appear.

PSALM 10.

Y presence why withdraw'st thou, A Lord?

why hid'st thou now thy face, When dismal times of deep distress call for thy wonted grace?

2 The wicked, swell'd with lawless pride,
have made the Poor their prey;
O let them fail by those designs
which they for others lay.

For straight they triumph, if success And sordic wretches, whom God hates, their thriving crimes attend; perversely they commend.

4 To own a power above themselves,
their haughty pride disdains;
And therefore in their stubborn mind
no thought of God remains.

5 Oppressive methods they pursue,
and all their foes they slight;
Because thy judgments unobserved,
are far above their sight.

6 They fondly think their prosperous state shall unmolested be;

They think their vain designs shall thrive, from all misfortunes free.

7 Vain and deceitful is their speech, with curses fill'd, and lies;

By which the mischief of their heart
they study to disguise.

8 Near public roads they lie conceal'd,
and all their art employ,
The innocent and poor at once
to rifle and destroy.

3 Not lions, couching in their dens,
surprise their heedless prey
With greater cunning, or express
more savage rage than they.

10 Sometimes they act the harmless man,
and modest looks they wear;
That so deceived, the poor may less
their sudden onset fear.

PART II.

11 For God, they think, no notice takes
of their unrighteous deeds;
He never minds the suffering poor,
nor their oppression heeds.

12 But thou, O Lord, at length arise,*
stretch forth thy might arm;

14 But sure thou seest, and all their deeds impartially dost try;

The orphan, therefore, and the poor
on thee for aid rely.

15 Defenceless let the wicked fall,
of all their strength bereft;
Confound, O God, their dark designs,
till no remains are left.

16 Assert thy just dominion, Lord
which shail for ever stand;
Thou who the heathen didst expel
from this thy chosen land.
17 Thou hear'st the humble supplicants
that to thy throne repair;

Thou first prepar'st their hearts to pray,
and then accept'st their prayer.
18 Thou, in thy righteous judgment,
weigh'st

the fatherless and poor;
That so the tyrants of the eart!
may persecute no more.

PSALM 11.

Saefuge always nigh,

INCE I have placed my trust in God,

Why should I, like a timorous bird,
to distant mountains fly?

2 Behold, the wicked bend their bow,
and ready fix their cart,
Lurking in ambush to destroy
the men of upright heart.

3 When once the firm assurance fails,
which public faith in parts,
'Tis time for innocence to ty
from such deceitful arts.

4 The Lord hath both a temple here,
and righteous throne above;
Where he surveys the sons of
men,
and how their councils move.
5 If God the righteous, whom he loves,,
for trial does correct,

What must the sons of violence,
whom he abhors, expect?

6 Snares, fire, and brimstone, on their
shall in one tempest shower;
This dreadful mixture his revenge

into their cup shall pour.

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7 The righteous Lord will righteous deeds
with signal favour grace,

And to the upright man disclose
the brightness of his face.
PSALM 12.

Sdo then my cause defend;

INCE godly men decay, O Lord,

For scarce these wretched times afford
one just and faithful friend.

2 One neighbour now can scarce believe
what t'other does impart;
With flattering lips they all deceive,
and with a double heart.

3 But lips that with deceit abound

can never prosper long;
God's righteous vengeance will confound
the proud blaspheming tongue.
4 In vain those foolish boasters say,
"Our tongues are sure our own;
"With doubtful words we'll still betray,
"and be controll'd by none."

5 For God, who hears the suffering poor,
and their oppression knows,
Will soon arise and give them rest,
in spite of all their foes.

6 The word of God shall still abide,
and void of falsehood be,
As is the silver, seven times try'd,
from drossy mixture free.

7 The promise of his aiding grace
shall reach its purposed end;

His servants from this faithless race
he ever shall defend.

8 Then shall the wicked be perplex'd,
nor know which way to fly;
When those whom they despised and
shall be advanced on high. [vex'd,
PSALM 13.

How long wilt thou forget me, Lord?

must I for ever mourn? How long wilt thou withdraw from me, oh! never to return?

[soul,

2 How long shall anxious thoughts my
and grief my heart oppress?
How long my enemies insult,
and I have no redress?

3 Oh! hear, and to my longing eyes
restore thy wonted light,
And suddenly, or I shall sleep
in everlasting night.

4 Restore me, lest they proudly boast
'twas their own strength o'ercame;
Permit not them that vex my soul
to triumph in my shame.

5 Since I have always placed my trust
beneath thy mercy's wing,

Thy saving health will come; and then
my heart with joy shall spring.
6 Then shall my song, with praise in-
to thee my God ascend,
Who to thy servant in distress
such bounty didst extend.
PSALM 14.

[spired,

SURE wicked fools must needs suppose
that God is nothing but a name;
Corrupt and lewd their practice grows;
no breast is warm'd with holy flame.
2 The Lord look'd down from Heaven's
high tower,

and all the sons of men did view,
To see if any own'd his power;
if any truth or justice knew.)
3 But all, he saw, were gone aside,
all were degenerate grown and base;
None took religion for their guide,
not one of all the sinful race.
4 But can these workers of deceit
be all so dull and senseless grown.

That they, like bread, my people eat,
and God's almighty power disown?
5 How will they tremble then for fear,
when his just wrath shall them o'er
take?

For to the righteous,God is near,

and never will their cause forsake. 6 Ill men, in vain, with scorn expose those methods which the good pursue, Since God a refuge is for those,

whom his just eyes with favour view. 7 Would he his saving power employ to break his people's servile band, Then shouts of universal joy

should loudly echo through the land. PSALM 15.

LORD, who's the happy man that may

to thy blest courts repair,

Not stranger-like, to visit them,
but to inhabit there?

2 'Tis he, whose every thought and deed
by rules of virtue moves;
Whose generous tongue disdains to speak
the thing his heart disproves.
S Who never did a slander forge,
his neighbour's fame to wound;
Nor hearken to a false report,

by malice whisper'd round.
4 Who vice, in all its pomp and power,
can treat with just neglect;
And piety, though clothed 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 Whose soul in usury disdains
his treasure to employ;
Whom no rewards can ever bribe
the guiltless to destroy.

7 The man, who by his steady course
has happiness insured,

When earth's foundation shakes, shal
by providence secured.
[stand,
PSALM 16.
me from my cruel foes,
and shield me, Lord, from harm;
Because my trust I still repose
on thy Almighty arm.

PROTECT

2 My soul all help but thine does slight,
all gods but thee disown;
Yet can no deeds of mine requite

the goodness thou hast shown.
3 But those that strictly virtuous are,
and love the thing that's right,
To favour always, and prefer,
shall be my chief delight.

4 How shall their sorrows be increased,
who other gods adore!
Their bloody offerings I detest,
their very names abhor.

5 My lot is fallen in that blest land
where God is truly known;

He fills my cup with liberal band,
'tis he supports my throne.

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