Psalm XLII.

Longing for the Presence of God.-Grief at the Loss of Ordinances.

1 AS pants the hart for cooling streams,
When heated in the chase;

So longs my soul, O GOD, for Thee,
And Thy refreshing grace.

2 For Thee, my GOD, the living GOD,
My thirsty soul doth pine;

O! when shall I behold Thy face,
Thou Majesty divine!

3 I sigh whene'er my musing thoughts
Those happy days present,
When I, with troops of pious friends,
Thy temple did frequent;

4 When I advanc'd, with songs of praise,
My solemn vows to pay;
And led the joyful sacred throng,
That kept the festal day.

5 Why restless, why cast down, my soul?
Trust GOD; and He'll employ

His aid for thee, and change these sighs
To thankful hymns of joy.

6 Why restless, why cast down, my soul?
Hope still, and thou shalt sing

The praise of Him who is thy God,
Thy health's eternal spring.

Psalm XLIII.

God's Word and Ordinances a Comfort in Distress.

1 GOD of my strength! why all my grief? Tho' foes my ev'ry path surround, Thy Word affords the kind relief,

And shows where solid joys abound.

2 O! send Thy light and truth to me! Thy light upon Thy truth to shine; O! let them lead my feet to Thee,

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And to Thy dwelling-place divine!

3 Then will I tow'rd Thine altar press; Draw near to GOD, my exceeding joy; With grateful heart Thy Name I'll bless, And all my life in praise employ.

4 Why then, my soul! so vainly strive?

Hope thou in GOD, and praise Him still: With gracious health thy soul shall thrive, And GOD Himself His temple fill.

Psalm XLVI.

The Church's Safety.

1 GOD is the refuge of His saints,
When storms of sharp distress invade;
Ere we can offer our complaints,
Behold Him present with His aid.

2 Let mountains from their seats be hurl'd
Down to the deep, and buried there;
Convulsions shake the solid world,
Our faith shall never yield to fear.

3 Loud may the troubled ocean roar; In sacred peace our souls abide, While every nation, every shore,

Trembles, and dreads the swelling tide.

4 There is a stream whose gentle flow
Supplies the city of our GOD;
Life, love, and joy, still gliding through,
And watering our divine abode.

5 That sacred stream, Thine holy Word,
That all our raging fear controls;
Sweet peace Thy promises afford,
And give new strength to fainting souls.

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Psalm XLVII.

Christ Ascending and Reigning.

FOR a shout of sacred joy
To GOD the sovereign King!
Let ev'ry land their tongues employ,
And hymns of triumph sing.

2 JESUS our GOD ascends on high;
His heav'nly guards around
Attend Him rising through the sky,
With trumpet's joyful sound.

3 While angels shout, and praise their King,
Let mortals learn their strains;
Let all the earth His honour sing:
O'er all the earth He reigns.

4 Rehearse His praise with awe profound; Let knowledge lead the song;

Nor mock Him with a solemn sound
Upon a thoughtless tongue.

5 In Israel stood His ancient throne;
He lov'd that chosen race:

But now He calls the world His own,
And heathens taste His grace:

6 The British islands are the LORD'S, There Abraham's GOD is known, "While powers and princes, shields and swords, Submit before His throne.

Psalm XLVIII.

The Beauty of the Church.-Zion's Praise.

GREAT is the LORD;-His praise be great!

From Zion's mount let incense rise!
For Zion stands the holy seat

Of Him whose glory fills the skies.

2 Her beauteous domes, resplendent tow'r, The joy of Judah's honour'd plains; "Tis known, who trusts her Sov'reign's pow'r A refuge in her palace gains.

3 Go, then, and walk fair Zion round;

See, where the mighty bulwarks rise;
Mark how her guardian towers abound;
In ev'ry palace feast your eyes.

4 Within these walls-this sacred pale-
May we, Thy saints, securely dwell;
And, fir'd with love, the wondrous tale
To all our rising children tell.

5 And may this thought our souls sustain-
The GOD of Salem's hallow'd tow'rs
Shall guide our feet o'er sin's domain,
And be, in death, for ever ours.

Psalm XLIX.

Rich and Poor alike in the Grave.

1 CEASE, mortals, cease your pride, nor dream
That riches shall from death redeem;
In vain shall wealth attempt to save,
Or plead exemption from the grave.

2 See rich and poor together laid
As sheep, when night extends her shade,
While Death within the vaulted rock,
Stern shepherd!-guards the slumb'ring flock.

3 Corruption there it's work shall ply,
And, wrapt in darkness as they lie,
Each feature fair, each boasted grace,
With unrelenting hand, efface.

4 Seest thou the rich-regard his end-
No wealth shall to his grave descend;
Nor the vain pomp, that strikes thy view,
Through death's dark shade it's lord pursue.

5 Yet thou, like him, the way shalt tread,
Which, one by one, thy Sires have led;
And 'midst th' impenetrable gloom
Shalt find with these thy lasting home.

6 For man, with erring pride elate,
Or high in power, in honour great,
Shares with the brute an equal doom,
And sleeps forgotten in the tomb.