PSALM XXXVI. 1-7. Short Metre. The wickedness of man, and the majesty of God; or, practical atheism exposed.
HEN grows bold in fin,
W My heart within me cries,
"He hath no faith of God within, "Nor fear before his eyes."
[He walks awhile concoal'd In a self-flatt'ring dream, Till his dark crimes, at once reveal'd,
Expose his hateful name.]
His heart is false and foul,
His words are smooth and fair;
Wisdom is banish'd from his foul,
And leaves no goodness there.
He plots upon his bed,
New mischiefs to fulfil;
He fets his heart, his hands, his head,
To practise all that's ill.
But there's a dreadful God,
Though men renounce his fear;
His justice, hid behind the cloud,
Shall one great day appear.
6 His truth transcends the sky:
In heav'n his mercies dwell;
Deep as the fea his judgments lie,
His anger burns to hell.
How excellent his love!
Whence all our safety springs:
O never let my foul remove
From underneath his wings!
PSALM XXXVII. 1st Part. Com.Met.
The cure of envy, fretfulness and unbelief: or, the rewards of the righteous, and the wicked : or, the world's hatred, and the faint's patience. HY should I vex my foul, and fret To fee the wicked rife?
Or envy finners, waxing great
By violence and lies?
2 As flow'ry grass cut down at noon,
Before the ev'ning fades,
So shall their glories vanish foon
In everlasting shades.
3 Then let me make the Lord my trust,
And practise all that's good;
So shall I dwell among the just,
And he'll provide me food.
4 I to my God my ways commit,
And cheerful wait his will;
Thy hand, which guides my doubtful feet,
Shall my defires fulfil.
5 Mine innocence shalt thou difplay,
And make thy judgments known,
Fair as the light of dawning day,
And glorious as the noon.
6 The meek, at last, the earth possess,
And are the heirs of heav'n :
True riches, with abundant peace,
To humble fouls are given.
7 Rest in the Lord, and keep his way,
Nor let your anger rife,
Though providence should long delay
To punish haughty vice.
8 Let finners join to break your peace,
And plot, and rage, and foam;
The Lord derides them, for he sees
Their day of vengeance come.
9 They have drawn out the threat'ning sword,
Have bent the murd'rous bow,
To flay the men that fear the Lord,
And bring the righteous low.
10 My God shall break their bows, and burn
Their perfecuting darts;
Shall their own swords against them turn,
And pain surprise their hearts.
PSALM XXXVII. 2d Part. Com.Met.
Ver. 16, 21, 26-31.
Charity to the poor; or, religion in words and deeds. HY do the wealthy wicked boast,
W And grow profanely bold?
The meanest portion of the just
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 blessed 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.
5 The law and gospel of the Lord
Deep in his heart abide;
Led by the spirit and the word,
His feet shall never flide.
6 When finners fall, the righteous stand,
Preferv'd from ev'ry snare;
They shall possess the promis'd land,
And dwell for ever there.
PSALM XXXVII. 3d Part. Com.Met.
The way and end of the righteous and the wicked.
Y God, the steps of pious men
Are order'd by thy will;
Though they should fall, they rife again,
Thy hand fupports them still.
2 The Lord delights to fee their ways,
Their virtue he approves:
He'll ne'er deprive them of his grace,
Nor leave the men he loves.
3 The heav'nly heritage is theirs,
Their portion and their home;
He feeds them now, and makes them heirs
Of blessings long to come.
4 Wait on the Lord, ye fons of men,
Nor fear when tyrants frown;
Ye shall confefs their pride was vain,
When justice casts them down.
PAUSE.
5 The haughty sinner have I seen,
Not 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 unseen;
Nor root nor branch, nor leaf was found, Where all that pride had been.
7 But mark the man of righteousness, His sev'ral steps attend;
True pleasure runs through 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,
Restore thy servant, Lord,
Nor let a father's chast'ning prove
Like an avenger's fword.
2 Thine arrows stick within my heart,
My flesh is forely press'd;
Between the forrow and the smart,
My spirit finds no rest.
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 still 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 anguish makes me roar,
The anguish of my foul.
6 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.
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