3. When I survey the stars

And all their shining forms,

Lord what is man, that worthless thing,
Akin to dust and worms?

4. Lord what is worthless man
That thou shouldst love him so?
Next to thine angels is he plac'd,
And lord of all below.

5. Thine honours crown his head While beasts like slaves obey,

And birds that cut the air with wings
And fish that cleave the sea.

6. How rich thy bounties are!

And wondrous are thy ways!

Of dust and worms thy pow'r can frame
A monument of praise.

[7. Out of the mouths of babes
And sucklings thou canst draw
Surprising honours to thy name,
And strike the world with awe.
8. O Lord our heav'nly King
Thy name is all divine;

Thy glories round the earth are spread,
And o'er the heav'ns they shine. *

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Stanza vii. The transposing of the 2d verse of this Psalm towards the end will not appear offensive, since the connexion of it with the other parts of the Psalm appears so much more visible.

PSALM VIII. COMMON METRE.

Christ's condescension and glorification, or, God made man.

LORD our Lord, how wondrous great

Is thine exalted name!

The glories of thy heav'nly state
Let men and babes proclaim.

2. When I behold thy works on high,
The moon that rules the night,
And stars that well adorn the sky,
Those moving worlds of light;

3. Lord! what is man, or all his race, Who dwells so far below,

That thou shouldst visit him with grace,
And love his nature so?

4. That thine Eternal Son should bear To take a mortal form,

Made lower than his angels are,

To save a dying worm?

[5. Yet while he liv'd on earth unknown, And men would not adore,

Th' obedient seas and fishes own

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His godhead and his pow'r.

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6. The waves lay spread beneath his feet,

And fish at his command

Bring their large shoals to Peter's net,
Bring tribute to his hand.

7. These lesser glories of the son
Shone thro' the fleshly cloud;
Now we behold him on his throne,
And men confess him God.]

8. Let him be crown'd with majesty

Who bow'd his head to death,
And be his honours sounded high
By all things that have breath.

9. Jesus our Lord, how wondrous great
Is thine exalted name!

The glories of thy heav'nly state

Let the whole earth proclaim. *

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PSALM VIII. VER. 1, 2, PARAPHRASED. THE FIRST
PART. LONG METRE.

The Hosannah of the children, or, Infants praising God.

ALMIGHTY Ruler of the skies,

Thro' the wide earth thy name is spread,

And thine eternal glories rise

O'er all the heav'ns thy hands have made.

Stan. iv. If the citation of part of this Psalm by the apostle, Heb. ii. 5. be but a mere allusion, yet it affords ground enough for the turn I have given it in this version, and the application of it to Christ.--Stanza vi. l. 1. Jesus went to them walking on the sea, Matt. xiv. 25.--- . Line 2. He said to Simon, Launch out, &c. and they enclosed a great multitude of fishes, Luke v. 4, 6.---Line book and take up the fish---thou shalt find a piece of money, Cast an &c. Matt. xvii. 27.

4.

2. To thee the voices of the young
A monument of honour raise,
And babes with uninstructed tongue
Declare the wonders of thy praise.

3. Thy pow'r assists their tender age
To bring proud rebels to the ground,
To still the bold blasphemer's rage,
And all their policies confound.

4. Children amidst thy temple throng
To see their great Redeemer's face;
The Son of David is their song,
And young hosannas fill the place.

5. The frowning scribes and angry priests
In vain their impious cavils bring;
Revenge sits silent in their breasts

Whilst Jewish babes proclaim their King.

*

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PSALM VIII. VER. 3, &C. PARAPHRASED.

THE SECOND PART. LONG METRE.

Adam and Christ lords of the old and new creation.

LORD, what was man when made at first,
Adam the offspring of the dust,

That thou shouldst set him and his race

But just below an angel's place?

The two first verses are here paraphrased, and explained by the history of the children crying Hosanna to Christ, Matt. xxi. 15, 16. where our Saviour cites. and applies those words of the Psalmist.

2. That thou shouldst raise his nature so, And make him lord of all below,

Make ev'ry beast and bird submit,
And lay the fishes at his feet?

3. But O! what brighter glories wait
To crown the second Adam's state!
What honours shall thy Son adorn
Who condescended to be born!

4. See him below his angels made, See him in dust amongst the dead To save a ruin'd world from sin; But he shall reign with pow'r divine.

5. The world to come, redeem'd from all The mis'ries that attend the fall,

New made and glorious, shall submit

At our exalted Saviour's feet. *

PSALM IX. THE FIRST PART.
Wrath and mercy from the judgment-seat.

WITH my whole heart I'll raise my song,
Thy wonders I'll proclaim;

Thou sov'reign Judge of right and wrong
Wilt put my foes to shame.

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*I am persuaded the true meaning of the apostle in citing the words of this Psalm, and applying them to our Savour, Heb. ii. 5. &c. is to shew that Christ the second Adam must have dominion over the new world, as Adam the first man had over the old, and that he is truly and really man, because the first Adam is the figure and type of him in his dominion.

Volume I.

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