6 Thy word, like silver seven times try'd, Through ages shall endure;

The men who in thy truth confide,
Shall find thy promise sure.

PSALM XIII. Common Metre.

Complaint under Temptation.

WATTS.

b

1 How long wilt thou conceal thy face?
My God, how long delay ?
When wilt thou send thy heavenly rays
To drive my fears away?

2 How long shall my distressed soul
Struggle and toil in vain?

Thy word can all my foes control,
And ease my raging pain.

3 Be thou my sun, and thou my shield, My soul in safety keep;

Make haste, before my eyes are seal'd In death's eternal sleep.

4 How would the tempter boast aloud, If I become his prey,

And all the host of hell grow proud,
At thy so long delay!

5 But they shall fly at thy rebuke,
And Satan hide his head;
He knows the terrors of thy look,
And hears thy voice with dread.

6 Thou wilt display that sov'reign grace
On which my hopes have hung;
I shall employ my lips in praise,
And vict'ry shall be sung.

WATTS

PSALM XIV. Common Metre.
Universal Depravity.

b

1 FOOLS in their hearts believe and say, "That all religion's vain;

"There is no God that reigns on high, "Or minds th' affairs of men.".

2 From thoughts so dreadful and profane Corrupt discourse proceeds;

And by their impious hands are done
Abominable deeds.

3 The Lord, from his celestial throne,
Look'd down on things below,
To find the men that sought his grace,
Or did his justice know.

4. He saw that all were gone astray,
Their practice all the same;

1

That none did fear his Maker's hand,
That none did love his name.

5 Their tongues are us❜d to speak deceit,
Their slanders never cease;
How swift to mischief are their feet,
Nor know the paths of peace!

6 Such seeds of sin, that bitter root,
In every heart are found;

Nor will they bear diviner fruit
Till grace refine the ground.

PSALM XV. Common Metre.

The Citizen of Zion.

WATTS.

X or b

1 LORD, who's the happy man that may
To thy blest courts repair?

And whilst he bows before thy throne,
Shall find acceptance there?

2 'Tis he, whose truly honest heart By rules of virtue moves ;

Whose gen'rous tongue disdains to speak The thing his heart disproves:

3 Who never will a slander forge,

His neighbour's fame to wound; Nor hearken to a false report,

By malice whisper'd round:

4 Who vice, when drest in pomp and power, Can treat with just neglect ;

And piety, though cloth'd 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 Who seeks not in oppressive ways
His treasure to employ ;

Whom no reward can ever bribe
The guiltless to destroy :

7 The man, who by his steady course

Has happiness insur'd,

When earth's foundations shake, shall stand,

By Providence secur'd.

PSALM XV.

TATE.

Long Metre.

* or b

The Virtues of a Christian.

1 WHO shall ascend thy heavenly place, Great God, and dwell before thy face? The man who loves religion now, And humbly walks with God below; 2 Whose hands are pure, whose heart is clean, Whose lips still speak the thing they m

No slanders dwell upon his tongue,
He hates to do his neighbour wrong.
3 He will not trust an ill report,
Nor vent it to his neighbour's hurt;
Sinners of state he can despise,
But saints are honour'd in his eyes.
4 Firm to his word he ever stood,
And always makes his promise good;
Nor will he change the thing he swears,
Whatever pain or loss he bears.

5 He never deals in bribing gold,
And mourns that justice should be sold;
If others vex and grind the poor,
Sweet charity attends his door.
6 He loves his enemies, and prays
For those who curse him to his face;
And doth to all men still the same
That he could hope or wish from them.
7 Yet, when his holiest works are done,
His soul depends on grace alone:
This is the man thy face shall see,
And dwell forever, Lord, with thee.

PSALM XVI. First Part.

WATTS.

L. M. b

Good Works profitable to Men.

1 PRESERVE me, Lord, in time of need;
For succour to thy throne I flee;
But have no merit there to plead,
My goodness cannot reach to thee.
2 Oft have my heart and tongue confest
How empty and how poor I am;
My praise can never make thee blest,
Nor add new glory to thy name.

3 Yet, Lord, thy saints on earth may reap
Some profit by the good I do ;
These are the company I keep,
These are the choicest friends I know.
4 Let others choose the sons of mirth,
To give a relish to their wine;
I love the men of heav'nly birth
Whose works and language are divine.

WATTS.

PSALM XVI. Second Part. C. M. b
The Blessings of Nature and Grace.

1 LET heathens to their idols haste,
And worship wood or stone;
But my delightful lot is cast
Where the true God is known.
2 In this enlighten'd, pleasant land,
My happy portion lies;

Where nature's ever bounteous hand
All human want supplies.

3 Therefore my soul shall bless the Lord, Whose precepts give me light,

And consolation still afford

In sorrow's dismal night.

4 I strive each action to approve
To thine all-seeing eye;

No danger shall my hope remove,
For thou art ever nigh..

5 Thou shalt the paths of life display,
Which to thy presence lead;
Where pleasures dwell without allay,
And joys which never fade.

WATTS and TATE varied