When faith is hardly to be found,
And love is waxing cold;
6 Is not thy chariot hastening on?
Hast thou not given the sign?
May we not trust and live upon
A promise so divine?
7 "Yes," saith the Lord, "now will I rise, "And make oppressors flee;
"I shall appear to their surprise,
And set my servants free."
8 Thy word, like silver sev'n times try'd,
Through ages shall endure:
The men who in thy truth confide
Shall find thy promise sure.
PSALM 13.-L. M.
Pleading with God under desertion:"or, hope in darkness.
1 HOW long, O Lord, shall I complain,
Like one who seeks his God in vain?
Canst thou thy face forever hide,
And I still pray and be deny'd?
2 Shall I forever be forgot,
As one whom thou regardest not?
Still shall my soul thy absence mourn?
And still despair of thy return?
3 How long shall my poor troubled breast
Be with these anxious thoughts oppress'd?
And Satan, my malicious foe,
Rejoice to see me sunk so low ?
Hear, Lord, and grant me quick relief
Before my death concludes my grief;
If thou withhold'st thy heavenly light.
I sleep in everlasting night.
5 How will the powers of darkness boast,
If but one praying soul be lost!
But I have trusted in thy grace,
And shall again behold thy face.
6 Whate'er my fears or foes suggest,
Thou art my hope, my joy, my rest;
My heart shall feel thy love, and raise
My cheerful voice to songs of praise.
PSALM 13.-C. M. [b]
Complaint under templations of the devil.
H My God, how long delay?
[OW long wilt thou conceal thy face?
When shall I feel those heavenly rays
Which chase my fears away?
2 How long shall my poor lab'ring soul
Wrestle and toil in vain ?
Thy word can all my foes control,
And ease my raging pain.
3 See how the prince of darkness tries
All his malicious arts;
He spreads a mist around my eyes,
And throws his fiery darts.
Be thou my sun, be thou my shield;
My soul in safety keep;
Make haste, before mine eyes are seal'd
In death's eternal sleep.
5 How would the tempter boast aloud
If I become his prey!.
Behold the sons of hell grow proud
At thy so long delay.
6 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.
Thou wilt display that sovereign grace
Where all my hopes have hung;
I shall employ my lips in praise,
And vict'ry shall be sung.
PSALM 14.-1st Part. C. M. [b]
By nature all men are sinners.
NOOLS 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 in their impious hands are found
Abominable deeds.
3 The Lord, from his celestial throne,
Look'd down on things below,
To find the man that sought his grace,
Or did his justice know.
4 By nature all are gone astray;
Their practice all the same:
There's none that fears his Maker's hand,
There's none that loves 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.
Such seeds of sin (that bitter root)
In every heart are found;
Nor can they bear diviner fruit,
Till grace refine the ground.
PSALM 14.-2d Part. C. M. [b]
The folly of persecutors.
ARE sinners now so senseless grown
That they the saints devour;
And never worship at thy throne,
Nor fear thine awful power?
2 Great God! appear to their surprise,
Reveal thy dreadful name!
Let them no more thy wrath despise,
Nor turn our hope to shame.
3 Dost thou not dwell among the just? And yet our foes deride,
That we should make thy name our trust:
Great God! confound their pride.
O that the joyful day were còme,
To finish our distress!
When God shall bring his children home,
Our songs shall never cease.
PSALM 15.-C. M. [*]
Characters of a saint; or, a citizen of Zion:
or, the qualifications of a Christian.
HO'shall inhabit in thy hill,
O God of holiness?
Whom will the Lord admit to dwell
So near his throne of grace?
2 The man that walks in pious ways,
And works with righteous hands;
That trusts his Maker's promises,
And follows his commands.
3 He speaks the meaning of his heart,
Nor slanders with his tongue :
Will scarce believe an ill report,
Nor do his neighbour wrong.
4 The wealthy sinner he contemns,
Loves all that fear the Lord;
And though to his own hurt he swears,
Still he performs his word.
5 His hands disdain a golden bribe,
And never gripe the poor:
This man shall dwell with God on earth,
And find his heaven secure.
PSALM 15.-L. M. [*]
Religion and justice, goodness and truth; or, dilies to Ged and man; or, the qualifications of a Christian.
HO shall ascend thy heavenly place,
W Great God, and dwell before thy face?
The man that minds religion now,
And humbly walks with God below:
2 Whose hands are pure, whose heart is clean,
Whose lips still speak the thing they mean:
"No slanders dwell upon his tongue :
He hates to do his neighbour wrong.
3 [Scarce will he 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 dares to 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:
While others gripe and grind the pror,
Sweet charity attends his door.]
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