He in full majesty appears,
And, like a robe, his glory wears.
[Note. This Psalm may be sung to a different metre by adding the following two lines to every stanza, viz.
Great is the Lord; what tongue can frame
An equal honour to his name.
2 The heav'ns are for his curtains spread,
Th' unfathom'd deep he makes his bed;
Clouds are his chariot, when he flies
On winged storms across the skies.]
3 Angels, whom his own breath inspires,
His ministers, are faming fires;
As swift as thought their armies move,
To bear his vengeance, or his love.
4 The world's foundations by his hand,
Are pois'd, and shall forever stand;
He binds the ocean in his chain,
Lest it should drown the earth again.
5 [When earth was cover'd with the flood,
Which high above the mountains stood;
He thunder'd, and the ocean fled,
Confin'd to its appointed bed.
6 The swelling billows know their bound,
And in their channels walk their round;
Yet thence convey'd by secret veins,
They spring on hills, and drench the plains.
7 He bids the crystal fountains flow,
And cheer the vallies as they go;
Tame heifers there their thirst allay,
And for the stream wild asses bray.
8 From pleasant trees, which shade the brink
The lark and linnet light to drink;
Their songs the lark and linnet raise,
And chide our silence in his praise.
9 God from his cloudy cistern pours
On the parch'd earth enriching show'rs;
The grove, the garden, and the field,
A thousand joyful blessings yield.
10 He makes the grassy food arise,
And gives the cattle large supplies;
With herbs for man of various pow'r,
To nourish nature, or to cure.
11 What noble fruit the vines produce!
The olive yields an useful juice;
Our hearts are cheer'd with gen'rous wine,
With inward joy our faces shine.
12 O bless his name, ye people, fed
With nature's chief supporter, bread:
While bread your vital strength imparts,
Serve him with vigour in your hearts.
13 Behold the stately cedar stands,
Rais'd in the forests by his hands;
Birds to the boughs for shelter fly,
And build their nests secure on high.
14 To craggy hills ascends the goat;
And, at the airy mountains foot,
The feebler creatures make their cell,
He gives them wisdom where to dwell.
15 He sets the sun his circling race,
Appoints the moon to change her face;
And when thick darkness veils the day,
Calls out wild beasts to hunt their prey.
16 Fierce lions lead their young abroad,
And roaring, ask their meat from God;
But when the morning beams arise
The savage beast to covert flies.
17 Then man to daily labour goes;
The night was made for his repose:
Sleep is thy gift, that sweet relief
From tiresome toil and wasting grief.
18 How strange thy works! how great thy skill! And ev'ry land thy riches fill:
Thy wisdom round the world we see,
This spacious earth is full of thee.
19 Nor less thy glories in the deep,
Where fish in millions swim and creep;
With wondrous motions swift or slow,
Still wand'ring in the paths below.
20 There ships divide the wat'ry way,
And flocks of scaly monsters play;
There dwells the huge leviathan,
And foams and sports in spite of man.
21 Vast are thy works, almighty Lord,
All nature rests upon thy word;
And the whole race of creatures stand,
Waiting their portion from thy hand.
22 While each receives his diff'rent food,
Their cheerful looks pronounce it good;
Eagles and bears, and whales and worms,
Rejoice and praise in diff'rent forms..
23 But when thy face is hid, they mourn,
And, dying, to their dust return;
Both man and beast their souls resign:
Life, breath, and spirit all are thine.
24 Yet thou canst breathe on dust again,
And fill the world with beasts and men;
A word of thy creating breath
Repairs the wastes of time and death.]
25 His works, the wonders of his might,
Are honour'd with his own delight:
e How awful are his glorious ways!
The Lord is dreadful in his praise.
p 26 The earth stands trembling at thy stroke,
And at thy touch the mountains smoke:
b Yet humble souls may see thy face,
And tell their wants to sov'reign grace.
-27 In thee my hopes and wishes meet,
And make my meditations sweet;
o Thy praises shall my breath employ,
'Till it expire in endless joy.
e 28 [While haughty sinners die accurst, Their glory buried in the dust,
o I to my God, my heav'nly King, o Immortal hallelujahs sing.]
PSALM 105. C. M.
ABRIDGED. Arundel. [*]
Covenant with Abraham remembered.
IVE thanks to God, invoke his name,
And tell the world his grace;
u Sound through the earth his deeds of fame, That all may seek his face.
o 2 [His cov'nant, which he kept in mind For num'rous ages past,
To num'rous ages yet behind,
In equal force shall last.]
-3 He sware to Abr'ham and his Seed, And made the blessings sure;
Gentiles the ancient promise read,
And find his truth endure.
d 4 [Thy seed shall make all nations blest,'
(Said the Almighty voice)
And Canaan's land shall be their rest,
The type of heav'nly joys.'
5 How large the grant! how rich the grace
To give them Canaan's land:
When they were strangers in the place,
A little feeble band!]
6 (Like pilgrims through the countries round Securely they remov'd;
And haughty kings who on them frown'd,
Severely he reprov'd.)
d 7 Touch mine anointed and mine arm,
Shall soon avenge the wrong;
The man that does my prophets harm,
Shall know their God is strong.'
8 Then let the world forbear its rage,
Nor put the church in fear:
Israel must live through ev'ry age,
And be th' Almighty's care.]
9 When Pharaoh dar'd to vex the saints,
And thus provok'd their God;
Moses was sent at their complaints,
Arm'd with his dreadful rod.
10 [He call'd for darkness; darkness came,
Like an o'erwhelming flood:
He turn'd each lake, and ev'ry stream,
To lakes and streams of blood.
11 He gave the sign, and noisome flies
Through the whole country spread:
And frogs in croaking armies rise,
About the monarch's bed.
12 Through fields, and towns, and palaces,
The ten-fold vengeance flew;
Locusts in swarms devour'd their trees,
And hail their cattle slew;
13 Then, by an angel's midnight stroke,
The flow'r of Egypt dy'd;
The strength of ev'ry house was broke,
Their glory and their pride.
d 14 Now let the world forbear its rage,
Nor put the church in fear;
Israel must live through ev'ry age,
And be th' Almighty's care.
-15 Thus were the tribes from bondage brought,
And left the hated ground;
Each some Egyptian spoils had got,
And not one feeble found.]
16 The Lord himself chose out their way,
And mark'd their journies right;
Gave them a leading cloud by day,
A fiery guide by night.
17 They thirst; and waters from the rock,
In rich abundance flow;
And, foll'wing still the course they took,
Ran all the desert through.
o 18 O wondrous stream! O blessed type
Of ever flowing grace!
• So Christ our Rock maintains our life,
Through all this wilderness.
-19 Thus guarded by th' Almighty hand,
The chosen tribes possest
Canaan, the rich, the promis'd land,
And there enjoy'd their rest.
g 20 Then let the world forbear its rage,
The Church renounce her fear;
Israel must live through every age,
And be the Almighty's care.
PSALM 106. L. M. Shoel. Castle-Street. [*] Ver. 1-5.-Praise to God: Communion with Saints. 1 O God the great, the ever blest,
Let songs of honour be address'd,
His mercy firm forever stands;
Give him the thanks his love demands.
|