o God is my soul's eternal Rock,
The strength of ev'ry saint.
p 5 Behold, the sinners who remove
Far from thy presence-die;
Not all the idol gods they love,
Can save them when they cry.

-6 But to draw near to thee, my God,
Shall be my sweet employ;

o My tongue shall sound thy works abroad, And tell the world my joy.

L. M. Geneva. Babylon. [b]

Reading.

Ver. 22, 3, 6, 17-20. The Prosperity of Sinners cursed.

e 1 LORD, what a thoughtless wretch was I, To mourn, and murmur, and repine,

To see the wicked, plac'd on high,
In pride, and robes of honour, shine!
p 2 But, oh, their end-their dreadful end!
Thy sanctuary taught me so:

On slipp'ry rocks I see them stand,
And fiery billows roll below.

d 3 Now let them boast how tall they rise,
-I'll never envy them again;

d There they may stand, with haughty eyes,
a 'Till they plunge deep in endless pain.
e 4 Their fancy'd joys, how fast they flee!
Just like a dream, when man awakes:
Their songs of softest harmony
Are but a preface to their plagues.
-5 Now I esteem their mirth and wine
Too dear to purchase with my blood;
o Lord, 'tis enough that thou art mine,
My life, my portion, and my God.

S. M. Aylesbury. [b]

The Mystery of Providence unfolded.
URE there's a righteous God,
Nor is religion vain;

1 SURI

Though men of vice may boast aloud,

2

And men of grace complain.

I saw the wicked rise,

And felt my heart repine;

While haughty fools, with scornful eyes,

In robes of honour shine.

3

[Pamper'd with wanton ease,
Their flesh looks full and fair;
Their wealth rolls in, like flowing seas,
And grows without their care.
4 Free from the plagues and pains
That pious souls endure,

Through all their life oppression reigns,
And racks the humble poor.

5 Their impious tongues blaspheme
The everlasting God;

Their malice blasts the good man's name,
And spreads their lies abroad.

6 But I, with flowing tears,
Indulg'd my doubts to rise:
'Is there a God that sees, or hears
"The things below the skies ?"]
The tumults of my thought
Held me in hard suspense;

7

Till to thy house my feet were brought, To learn thy justice thence.

8 Thy word, with light and power
Did my mistakes amend;

I view'd the sinners' lives before,
But here I learn'd their end.
On what a slipp❜ry steep

p 9

The thoughtless wretches go! a And, oh, that dreadful, fiery deep That waits their fall below!

e 10 Lord, at thy feet I bow,

My thoughts no more repine;
-I call my God my portion now;
And all my powers are thine.
PSALM 74. C. M. Wantage. [*]
The Church, in Affliction, pleading with God.
ILL God for ever cast us off?
His wrath for ever smoke-
Against the people of his love,

1

WILL

His little chosen flock?

e 2 Think of the tribes, so dearly bought With their Redeemer's blood;

Nor let thy Zion be forgot,

Where once thy glory stood.

o 3 Lift up thy feet, and march in haste; Aloud our ruin calls;

e See what a wide, and fearful waste Is made within thy walls.

4 [Where once thy churches pray'd and sang, Thy foes profanely roar :

Over thy gates their ensigns hang,

Sad tokens of their power.

5 How are the seats of worship broke!
They tear thy buildings down;
And he who deals the heaviest stroke,
Procures the chief renown.

6 With flames they threaten to destroy
Thy children in their nest;
'Come, let us burn at once, they cry,
"The temple and the priest.'
7 And still, to heighten our distress,
Thy presence is withdrawn ;
Thy wonted signs of power and grace,
Thy power and grace are gone.

8 No prophet speaks to calm our woes,
But all the seers mourn;

There's not a soul amongst us knows
The time of thy return.]

PAUSE.

p 9 How long, eternal God, how long
Shall men of pride blaspheme!
Shall saints be made their endless song,
And bear immortal shame?

10 [Canst thou for ever sit and hear
Thy holy name profan'd?

And still thy jealousy forbear,

And still withhold thy hand?]

e 11 What strange deliv'rance hast thou shown, In ages long before!

-And now, no other God we own,

No other God adore.

12 [Thou didst divide the raging sea,

By thy resistless might,

To make thy tribes a wondrous way;
And then secure their flight.

13 Is not the world of nature thine-
The darkness and the day?

Didst thou not bid the morning shine,
And mark the sun his way?

14 Hath not thy power form'd ev'ry coast,
And set the earth its bounds,
With summer's heat, and winter's frost,
In their perpetual rounds?

15 And shall the sons of earth and dust
That sacred power blaspheme?

Will not that hand which form'd them first, Avenge thine injur'd name ?]

16 Think on the cov'nant thou hast made,
And all thy words of love;

Nor let the birds of prey invade,
And vex thy mourning dove.

e 17 [Our foes would triumph in our blood,
And make our hope their jest:
Plead thine own cause, almighty God,
And give thy children rest.]

PSALM 75. L. M. Blendon. [*]

Power and Government from God alone.

1 To

most

O thee, most Holy and most High, To thee we bring our thankful praise Thy works declare thy name is nighThy works of wonder and of grace. 2 ['To slav'ry doom'd, thy chosen sons 'Beheld their foes triumphant rise;

And, sore oppress'd by earthly thrones, 'They sought the Sovereign of the skies.

3 "Twas then, great God, with equal power, Arose thy vengeance and thy grace,

'To scourge their legions from the shore,
'And save the remnant of thy race.']
4 Let haughty sinners sink their pride;
Nor lift so high their scornful head;
But lay their foolish thoughts aside,
And own the powers that God hath made.
5 Such honours never come by chance,
Nor do the winds promotion blow;
'Tis God, the Judge, doth one advance:
'Tis God, that lays another low.

6-No vain pretence to royal birth,
Shall fix a tyrant on the throne;
God, the great Sovereign of the earth,
Will rise, and make his justice known.
7 [His hand holds out the dreadful cup
Of vengeance mix'd with various plagues,
To make the wicked drink them up,
Wring out and taste the bitter dregs.
8 Now shall the Lord exalt the just;
And while he tramples on the proud,
And lays their glory in the dust,
My lips shall sing his praise aloud.]

1

PSALM 76. C. M. Bedford. [*]

IN

God in Zion terrible to her Enemies.

N Judah, God of old was known,
His name in Israel great;

In Salem stood his holy throne,
And Zion was his seat.

2 [Among the praises of his saints,
His dwelling there he chose:
There he receiv'd their just complaints
Against their haughty foes.]

o 3 From Zion went his dreadful word,
And broke the threat'ning spear,
The bow, the arrows, and the sword;
And crush'd th' Assyrian war.

e 4 What are the earth's wide kingdoms else, But mighty hills of prey?

-The hill on which JEHOVAH dwells, 0 Is glorious more than they.

5 ['Twas Zion's King that stopt the breath, Of captains and their bands:

The men of might slept fast in death,
And never found their hands.

d 6 At thy rebuke, O Jacob's God,
Both horse and chariot fell :
Who knows the terrour of thy rod!
Thy vengeance who can tell?]

e7 What power can stand before his sight, When once his wrath appears ?