Praise ye the Lord: how rich the theme!
How well does praise each heart beseem!
No act can yield fuch pure delight,
And praise is lovely in his fight.
CCL. PSALM CXLVIII. Prop. Met. WATTS.
Hymn of univerfal Praife.
E tribes of Adam, join
With heaven, and earth, and feas,
And offer notes divine
To your Creator's praise.
Ye holy throng
Of Angels bright,
In worlds of light,
Begin the fong.
2 Thou fun with dazzling rays,
And moon that rules the night,
Shine to your Maker's praise,
With ftars of glittering light.
His power declare,
Ye floods on high,
And clouds that fly
In liquid air.
4 He moved their mighty wheels
In unknown ages past,
And each his word fulfils
While time and nature laft.
In different ways,
His works proclaim
His wondrous name,
And speak his praise.
5 Then join the general fong
Ye fons of human race;
To human minds belong
Notes of diftinguished praise.
Be your's the part
Your God to love,
And ever prove
A grateful heart.
CCLI. PSALM CXLVIII. P.M. UNKNOWN.
Praife to GOD from Earth and Man.
XALT, O earth, thy heavenly King, Who bids the plants, that form the fpring,
With annual verdure bloom;
Whofe frequent fhowers of kindly rain
Prolific fwell the ripening grain,
And bless thy fertile womb.
2 Ye fummer's heat, and winter's cold,
By turns in long fucceffion rolled,
The drooping world to cheer;
Praise him, who gave the fun and moon
To lead the various feasons on,
And guide the circling year.
3 Ye trees, that fill the rural scene,
Ye flowers, that o'er th' enamel'd green
In native beauty reign;
O praise the ruler of the skies,
Whofe hand the genial fap fupplies,
And clothes the fmiling plain.
4 Ye fons of men, his praise display,'
Who ftampt his image on your clay,
To God your hearts approve;
Ye who in truth's bleft confines dwell,
From age to age fucceffive tell
The wonders of his love.
5 Ye fpirits of the juft and good,
That, eager for the bleft abode,
To heavenly manfions foar
O let your fongs his praise display,
'Till earth itfelf fhall melt away,
And time fhall be no more.
6 Praise him, ye meek and humble train,
Ye faints, whom his decrees ordain
The boundless blifs to fhare;
O praise him till ye take your way
To regions of eternal day,
And reign for ever there.
CCLII. PSALM CXLVIII. P. M. UNKNOWN.
Hymn of univerfal Praife.
EGIN, my foul, th' exalted lay,
Thy nobleft, richest praise convey
To God the King fupreme;
While heaven, and earth, and feas and skies In one melodious concert rise,
To swell the glorious theme.
2 Ye angels, fpread the joyful found,
And with th' adoring throngs around
His wondrous mercy fing;
Let every liftening faint above
Awake the tuneful foul of love,
And touch the fweeteft ftring.
3 Thou heaven of heavens, his vast abode,
Ye clouds, proclaim your Maker God;
Ye thunders, speak his power:
Thou lightning, on whofe gleamy wing,
In triumph rides th' eternal King,
Thy awful Lord adore.
4 Ye deeps, with roaring billows rife,
To join the thunders of the skies ;
Praise him who bids you roll :
His praise in fofter notes declare,
Each whispering breeze of yielding air,
And breathe it to the foul.
5 Wake, all ye feathered throngs, and fing, Ye cheerful warblers of the fpring, Harmonious anthems raise
To him, who shaped your finer mould,
Who tipped your glittering wings with gold,
And tuned your voice to praise.
6 Let man, by nobler paffions swayed,
The feeling heart, the judging head,
In heavenly praise employ;
Spread the Creator's name around,
Till heaven's extended arch rebound
The general burst of joy.
CCLIII. PSALM CXLIX. P. M. DODDRIdge.
Praife God, ye Righteous.
PRAISE ye the Lord, prepare a new fong, And let all his faints in full concert join, With voices united the anthem prolong, And fhew forth his praises with mufic divine.
Let praise to your God your Maker afcend,
Let each grateful heart be glad in its King,
For God, whom you worship, your fongs will attend,
And view with complacence the offering you bring.
Rejoice then, ye faints, with pureft delight;
Devotion awake with each rifing day:
Your God does himself your devotion invite,
And your fervice of love his love will repay.
Then praise ye the Lord, prepare a new song,
And let all his faints in full concert join,
With voices united the anthem prolong,
And fhew forth his praises with music divine.
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