And in sweet concert gladly sing,
Be glad, O sea, ye numerous isles,
Exult in his paternal smiles,
Praise ye the Lord, your sovreign King. 2 Jehovah reigns, he reigns alone, Justice and truth support his throne, Like pillars in his courts above; Mysterious as his ways appear, When clouds and darkness raise our fear, His ways are everlasting love.
3 Consuming fire before him burns, His hand against his foes he turns,
Their courage fails, their nerves relax;
He makes the heavens a stream of light,
The world is seiz'd with sore affright,
And lofty hills dissolve like wax.
4 His righteousness the heavens declare,
In silent awe the heathens stare,
Nor can the hidden cause explain;
When darkness overwhelms the sun,
Or thro the skies his streamers* run,
They seek to molten gods in vain.
5 Thy ways, O Lord, our songs employ,
And Zion's daughters sing for joy,
They love to hear thy thunders roll;
Let vice be shun'd and sin abhorr'd
By those who love and serve the Lord,
For God approves the righteous soul.
6 In Zion, Lord, thy ways are known,
There light is for the righteous sown,
The seeds of grace luxuriant† thrive;
O, may thy saints an harvest see,
Let every heart rejoice in thee,
And Zion in thy smiles revive.
* Streamers, northern lights.
Luxuriant, very plenteous.
PSALM 97. Part 1. L. M.
Christ coming to judgment.
1 HE reigns, the Lord the Savior reigns,
Praise him in evangelic strains,
Let every tongue, let every voice,
In his salvation now rejoice.
2 Begin the song, celestial band,
And praise the King at God's right-hand;
Ye heavens adore the 'eternal, Son,
Thro heaven and earth his will is done.
3 Rejoice, O earth, let mortals try
To 'assist the concert in the sky;
Ye distant lands, ye numerous isles,
Exult and triumph in his smiles.
4 Deep are his counsels and unknown,
But grace and truth support his throne;
Tho gloomy clouds his way surround,
Yet justice with the Lord is found.
5 For judgment, lo! the heavens he leaves,
Shakes the wide earth, the tombs he cleaves,
Before him burns devouring fire,
The mountains melt, the seas retire.
6. The guilty world with wonder see,
The man, who bore the shameful tree,
And while the living die with fear,*
The dead his awful mandates* hear.
7 His enemies with sore dismay,
Attempt in vain to shun the day,
The man whom once their souls abhorr'd,
They now behold and own him Lord.
8 Lift up your heads, ye saints, on high,
And sing the blest Redeemer nigh;
Ye ransom'd souls in rapture sing,
He comes to reign for ever King.
WELCOME the fair auspicious morn,
To day the Prince of Peace is born,
Let earth rejoice with heavenly mirth,
And sing the great Redeemer's birth.
2 All ye bright armies of the skies,
Go worship where the Savior lies;
Angels before Immanuel bow,
Adore the God incarnate now.
3 Ye humble swains, proclaim the news,
Announce the Savior to the Jews,
Say what you saw, and how you fear'd,
And tell the vision that appear❜d.
4 Led by the sure directing star,
Behold the wise men from afar,
With hasty feet, and strong desire,
For this immortal King inquire.
5 The delphic* oracle stands mute,
The lying voice, his lips confute,
He strikes the powers of darkness dumb,
And Satan holds beneath his thumb.
6 Let idols totter to the ground,
And their own worshippers confound;
But let the church his glories sing,
And heaven and earth proclaim him King.
Delphic, from Delphi, a city of Phocis in Greece, seated on the hill Pernassus, where was the oracle of Apollo, hence called the Delphic oracle. Before the birth of Christ answers were received from this oracle, but since that time it has remained silent. Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols; worship him, all ye gods.
PSALM 97. Part 3. L. M.
Grace and glory.
1 THE Almighty reigns exalted high,
Let sinners fear, let tyrants sigh,
The days of vengeance must be had,
Rejoice O earth, ye isles be glad.
2 Tho clouds and darkness vail his feet,
Yet grace and truth in Jesus meet,
His righteousness on earth remains,
Judgment his heavenly throne maintains.
3 A dreadful fire before him goes,
His burning rage consumes his foes;
With awful fear his lightning fills
The trembling earth and melting hills.
The heavens his righteousness declare,
No power may with the Lord compare;
His judgments shall the proud destroy,
And Zion's daughters shout for joy.
5 All ye, who love his holy name,
Hate every work of sin and shame,
His watchful eye, his powerful arm,
Shall well defend the saints from harm.
6 Immortal light and joys unknown,
Are for the saints in darkness sown;
Those glorious seeds shall spring and rise,
And the bright harvest bless our eyes.
7 Rejoice, ye righteous, and record
The sacred honors of the Lord;
None but the saints, who love his voice,
Can in his holiness rejoice.
PSALM 97. C. M.
Christ's first and second coming.
1 THE Lord is come, let earth be glad,
Rejoice ye distant isles;
The Son in human nature clad,
A beauteous infant smiles.
2 Is this, O God, thy sovreign way?
Hast thou decreed it thus?
The Prince of Peace is born to day,
Immanuel, God with us!
3 Adoring angels at his birth,
The joyful song began;
The shepherds heard their heavenly mirth,
And blest the friend of man.
4 Tho seraphs first proclaim'd the news,
And shepherds heard them sing;
Yet did his form offend the Jews,
Nor would they crown him king.
5 The proud despis'd this holy one,
And on the Savior trod,
But God, the Father, own'd his Son,
And saints confest him God.
6 The heavens declare his wond'rous name, The heathen gods around,
Fill their own worshippers with shame,
And totter to the ground.
Behold he comes, he comes again,
How different is his form,
Thousand of thousands fill his train,
And dreadful is the storm.
8 The Judge ascends the flying cloud,
Downward he bends his way,
The judgment trumpet sounding loud
Proclaims the solemn day.
9 Behold the Judge, how swift, how fierce, How like to God is he!
Ye must behold who did him pierce,
And all the world must see! -
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