PSALM I.

OW blest is he who ne'er consents

1HOW
1H By ill advice to walk;

Nor stands in sinners' ways, nor sits
Where men profanely talk.

2 But makes the perfect law of God
His business and delight;
Devoutly reads therein by day,
And meditates by night.

3 Like some fair tree, which, fed by streams,

With timely fruit does bend,

He still shall flourish, and success
All his designs attend.

4 Ungodly men and their attempts
No lasting root shall find;
Untimely blasted, and dispers'd
Like chaff before the wind.

5 Their guilt shall strike the wicked dumb
Before their Judge's face;
No formal hypocrite shall then
Amongst the saints have place.

6 For God approves the just man's ways, To happiness they tend;

1

But sinners, and the paths they tread, Shall both in ruin end.

PSALM II.

ITH restless and ungovern'd rage
Why do the heathen storm?
Why in such rash attempts engage,
As they can ne'er perform?

2 The great in counsel and in might
Their various forces bring;
Against the Lord they all unite,
And his anointed King.

3 Must we submit to their commands?
Presumptuously they say:

No, let us break their slavish bands,
And cast their chains away.

4 But God, who sits enthron'd on high,
And sees how they combine,
Does their conspiring strength defy,
And mocks their vain design.

5 Thick clouds of wrath divine shall break On his rebellious foes;

And thus will he in thunder speak
To all that dare oppose:

6 Though madly you dispute my will,
The King that I ordain,

Whose throne is fix'd on Sion's hill,
Shall there securely reign.

7 Attend, O earth, whilst I declare
God's uncontroll'd decree;

Thou art my Son, this day my heir
Have I begotten thee.

8 Ask and receive thy full demands;
Thine shall the heathen be:
The utmost limits of the lands
Shall be possess'd by thee.

9 Thy threat'ning sceptre thou shalt shake,
And crush them every where;
As massy bars of iron break
The potter's brittle ware.

10 Learn then, ye princes; and give ear, Ye judges of the earth;

11 Worship the Lord with holy fear; Rejoice with awful mirth.

12 Appease the Son with due respect,
Your timely homage pay;

Lest he revenge the bold neglect,
Incens'd by your delay.

PSALM IX.

To celebrate thy praise, O Lord,
I will my heart prepare;
To all the list ning world thy works,
Thy wondrous works, declare.

2 The thought of them shall to my soul Exalted pleasure bring;

Whilst to thy Name, O thou most High,
Triumphant praise I sing.

3 Thou mad'st my haughty foes to turn
Their backs in shameful flight;
Struck with thy presence, down they fell,
They perish'd at thy sight.
4 Against insulting foes, advanc'd,
Thou didst my cause maintain;
My right asserting from thy throne,
Where truth and justice reign.
5 The insolence of heathen pride
Thou hast reduc'd to shame;
Their wicked offspring quite destroy'd,
And blotted out their name.

6 Mistaken foes! your haughty threats
Are to a period come;

Our city stands, which you design'd
To make our common tomb.

7,8 The Lord for ever lives, who has
His righteous throne prepar'd,
Impartial justice to dispense;
To punish or reward.

9 God is a constant sure defence
Against oppressing rage;

As troubles rise, his needful aids
In our behalf engage.

10 All those who have his goodness prov❜d Will in his truth confide;

Whose mercy ne'er forsook the man
That on his help relied.

11 Sing praises, therefore, to the Lord,
From Sion, his abode;

Proclaim his deeds, till all the world
Confess no other God.

The Second Part.

12 When he enquiry makes for blood,
He calls the poor to mind;
The injur'd humble man's complaint
Relief from him shall find.
13 Take pity on my troubles, Lord,
Which spiteful foes create,
Thou, that hast rescu'd me so oft
From death's devouring gate.
14 In Sion then I'll sing thy praise,
To all that love thy Name;
And with loud shouts of grateful joy
Thy saving pow'r proclaim.
15 Deep in the pit they digg'd for me
The heathen pride is laid;
Their guilty feet to their own snare
Are heedlessly betray'd.

16 Thus, by the just returns he makes,
The mighty Lord is known;
While wicked men by their own plots
Are shamefully o'erthrown.

17 No single sinner shall escape
By privacy obscur'd;

Nor nation from his just revenge
By numbers be secur'd.

18 His suff'ring saints, when most distrest, He ne'er forgets to aid;

Their expectation shall be crown'd,
Though for a time delay'd.

19 Arise, O Lord, assert thy pow'r,
And let not man o'ercome;
Descend to judgment, and pronounce
The guilty heathen's doom.

20 Strike terror through the nations round, Till, by consenting fear,

They to each other and themselves
But mortal men appear.

Why hid'st thou now thy face,
When dismal times of deep distress
Call for thy wonted grace?

2 The wicked, swell'd with Jawless pride,
Have made the poor their prey;
O let them fall by those designs
Which they for others lay!

3 For straight they triumph, if success
Their thriving crimes attend;

And sordid wretches, whom God hates,
Perversely they commend.

4 To own a pow'r above themselves
Their haughty pride disdains;
And therefore in their stubborn mind
No thought of God remains.

5 Oppressive methods they pursue,
And all their foes they slight;
Because thy judgments, unobserv'd,
Are far above their sight.

6 They fondly think their prosp'rous state Shall unmolested be;

They think their vain designs shall
From all misfortune free. [thrive,

7 Vain and deceitful is their speech,
With curses fill'd and lies;
By which the mischief of their heart
They study to disguise.

8 Near publick roads they lie conceal'd, And all their art employ,

The innocent and poor at once
To rifle and destroy.

9 Not lions, couching in their dens,
Surprise their heedless prey
With greater cunning, or express
More savage rage than they.

10 Sometimes they act the harmless man,
And modest looks they wear;
That, so deceiv'd, the poor may less
Their sudden onset fear.

The Second Part.

11 For God, they think, no notice takes
Of their unrighteous deeds;
He never minds the suff'ring poor,
Nor their oppression heeds.

12 But thou, O Lord, at length arise;
Stretch forth thy mighty arm;
And, by the greatness of thy pow'r,
Defend the poor from harm.

13 No longer let the wicked vaunt,
And proudly boasting say,
Tush, God regards not what we do;
He never will repay.

14 But sure thou seest, and all their deeds Impartially dost try;

The orphan, therefore, and the poor
On thee for aid rely.

15 Defenceless let the wicked fall,
Of all their strength bereft ;
Confound, O God, their dark designs,
Till no remains are left.

16 Assert thy just dominion, Lord,
Which shall for ever stand;
Thou, who the heathen didst expel
From this thy chosen land.

17 Thou dost the humble suppliants hear That to thy throne repair;

Thou first prepar'st their hearts to pray,
And then accept'st their pray'r.

18 Thou in thy righteous judgment weigh'st
The fatherless and poor;
That so the tyrants of the earth
May persecute no more.

A refuge always nigh,

[God,

Why should I, like a timʼrous bird,
To distant mountains fly?

2 Behold, the wicked bend their bow,
And ready fix their dart;
Lurking in ambush to destroy
The man of upright heart.

3 When once the firm assurance fails
Which publick faith imparts,
'Tis time for innocence to fly

From such deceitful arts.

4 The Lord hath both a temple here,

And righteous throne above; Whence he surveys the sons of men, And how their counsels move.

5 If God the righteous, whom he loves, For trial does correct;

PSALM XII.

INCE godly men decay, O Lord,

SINCE

Do thou my cause defend;

For scarce these wretched times afford One just and faithful friend.

2 One neighbour now can scarce believe What t'other doth impart :

With flatt'ring lips they all deceive,
And with a double heart.

3 But lips that with deceit abound
Can never prosper long;
God's righteous vengeance will confound
The proud blaspheming tongue.

4 In vain those foolish boasters say,
Our tongues are sure our own;
With doubtful words we will betray,
And be controll'd by none.

5 For God, who hears the suff'ring poor,
And their oppression knows,
Will soon arise and give them rest,
In spite of all their foes.

6 The word of God shall still abide,
And void of falsehood be,
As is the silver, seven times tried,
From drossy mixture free.

7 The promise of his aiding grace
Shall reach the purpos'd end;
His servants from this faithless race
He ever shall defend.

8 Then shall the wicked be perplex'd,

Nor know which way to fly; [vex'd, When those, whom they despis'd and Shall be advanc'd on high.

4 Restore me, lest they proudly boast 'Twas their own strength o'ercame; Permit not them that vex my soul To triumph in my shame. 5 Since I have always plac'd my trust Beneath thy mercy's wing,

Thy saving health will come, and then
My heart with joy shall spring:

6 Then shall my song, with praise inspir'd,
To thee, my God, ascend;
Who to thy servant in distress
Such bounty didst extend.

PSALM XIV.

URE wicked fools must needs suppose That God is nothing but a name; Corrupt and lewd their practice grows, No breast is warm'd with holy flame. 2 The Lord look'd down from heav'n's high tow'r,

And all the sons of men did view,
To see if any own'd his pow'r,
If any truth or justice knew.

3 But all, he saw, were gone aside,
All were degen❜rate grown and base;
None took religion for their guide,
Not one of all the sinful race.

4 But can these workers of deceit

Be all so dull and senseless grown, That they like bread my people eat, And God's almighty pow'r disown? 5 How will they tremble then for fear, When his just wrath shall them o'ertake!

For to the righteous God is near,

And never will their cause forsake. 6 Ill men in vain with scorn expose

Those methods which the good pursue; Since God a refuge is for those Whom his just eyes with favour view. 7 Would he his saving pow'r employ To break his people's servile band; Then shouts of universal joy Should loudly echo through the land.

PSALM XV.

LothyWho's courts apparpan that
Not, stranger-like, to visit them,
But to inhabit there?

ORD, who's the happy man_that

2 'Tis he, whose ev'ry thought and deed
By rules of virtue moves;
Whose gen'rous tongue disdains to speak
The thing his heart disproves.
3 Who never did a slander forge
His neighbour's fame to wound;
Nor hearken to a false report,
By malice whisper'd round.

4 Who vice in all its pomp and pow'r
Can treat with just neglect;
And piety, though cloth'd in rags,
Religiously respect.

Who to his plighted vows and trust
Has ever firmly stood;

And, though he promise to his loss,
He makes his promise good.

5 Whose soul in usury disdains
His treasure to employ ;

Whom no rewards can ever bribe
The guiltless to destroy.

The man, who by this steady course
Has happiness insur'd, ['stand,
When earth's foundation shakes, shall
By Providence secur❜d.

PSALM XVI.

PROTECT me from my cruel foes,
And shield me, Lord, from harm,
Because my trust I still repose
On thy Almighty arm.

2 My soul all help but thine does slight,
All gods but thee disown;
Yet can no deeds of mine requite
The goodness thou hast shown.
3 But those that strictly virtuous are,
And love the thing that's right,
To favour always and prefer
Shall be my chief delight.

4 How shall their sorrows be increas'd
Who other gods adore!

Their bloody off'rings I detest,
Their very names abhor.

5 My lot is fall'n in that blest land
Where God is truly known;
He fills my cup with lib'ral hand;
'Tis he supports my throne.
6 In nature's most delightful scene
My happy portion lies;

The place of my appointed reign
All other lands outvies.

7 Therefore my soul shall bless the Lord,
Whose precepts give me light,
And private counsel still afford
In sorrow's dismal night.
8 I strive each action to approve
To his all-seeing eye;

No danger shall my hopes remove,
Because he still is nigh.

9 Therefore my heart all grief defies,
My glory does rejoice;

My flesh shall rest in hope to rise,
Wak'd by his pow'rful voice.

10 Thou, Lord, when I resign my breath,
My soul from hell shalt free;
Nor let thy Holy One in death
The least corruption see.