2 Hard lot of mine! my days are cast
Among the sons of strife,

Whose never ceasing brawlings waste
My golden hours of life.

3 O might I fly to change my place,
How would I choose to dwell
In some wide, lonesome wilderness,
And leave these gates of hell!
4 Peace is the blessing that I seek,
How lovely are its charms!

I am for peace; but when I speak,
They all declare for arms.

5 New passions still their souls engage,
And keep their malice strong;
What shall be done to curb thy rage,
O thou devouring tongue!

6 Should burning arrows smite thee through,
Strict justice would approve;
But I had rather spare my foe,
And melt his heart with love.

PSALM 121. L. M. Sheffield. Truro. [*]

Divine Protection.

1 [TTP to the hills I lift mine eyes,

1 [UP

Th' eternal hills beyond the skies; Thence all her help my soul derives : There my almighty refuge lives.]

g 2 He lives! the everlasting God,

Who built the world, who spread the flood;
The heavens with all their hosts he made,
And the dark regions of the dead!

-3 He guides our feet, he guards our way;
His morning smiles bless all the day;
He spreads the ev'ning veil, and keeps
The silent hours while Israel sleeps.

o 4 Israel, a name divinely blest,
May rise secure, securely rest;
Thy holy Guardian's wakeful eyes
Admit no slumber or surprise.

-5 No sun shall smite thy head by day;
Nor the pale moon, with sickly ray,
Shall blast thy couch; no baleful star
Dart his malignant fire so far.

0 6 Should earth and hell with malice burn, Still thou shalt go, and still return, Safe in the Lord; his heavenly care Defends thy life from ev'ry snare. -7 On thee foul spirits have no power; e And, in thy last departing hour, o Angels, who trace the airy road, Shall bear thee homeward to thy God.

1

[T

C. M. Mear. [*]

Preservation by Day and Night.

O heaven I lift my waiting eyes,
There all my hopes are laid;

The Lord, who built the earth and skies,
Is my perpetual aid.

2 Their feet shall never slide to fall,
Whom he designs to keep:

His ear attends the softest call
His eyes can never sleep.

3 He will sustain our weakest powers,
With his almighty arm ;

And watch our most unguarded hours,
Against surprising harm.

4 Israel, rejoice, and rest secure,
Thy keeper is the Lord 1;

His wakeful eyes employ his power
For thine eternal guard.

5 Nor scorching sun, nor sickly moon
Shall have his leave to smite e;
He shields thy head from burning noon,
From blasting damps at night.

6 He guards thy soul, he keeps thy breath, Where thickest dangers come;

Go and return, secure from death,
Till God commands thee home.]

UPW

P. M. Allerton. [*]

God our Preserver.

PWARD I lift mine eyes, From God is all my aid ;The God who built the skies, And earth and nature made ·

God is the tower

To which I fly;

0

His grace is nigh
In ev'ry nour.

2 My feet shall never slide,
And fall in fatal snares;

Since God, my guard and guide,
Defends me from my fears.
Those wakeful eyes

That never sleep,
Shall Israel keep
When dangers rise.

3 No burning heats by day,
Nor blasts of ev'ning air,
Shall take my health away,
If God be with me there:

Thou art my sun,
And thou my shade,
To guard my head,
By night or noon.

o 4 Hast thou not given thy word,
To save my soul from death?
And I can trust my Lord
To keep my mortal breath:

I'll go and come,
Nor fear to die,
Till from on high,
Thou call me home.

PSALM 122. C. M. Hymn 2d. Bethlehem. [*]

0 1

HO
Η

Going to Church.

OW did my heart rejoice to hear
My friends devoutly say,

o 'In Zion let us all appear,
'And keep the solemn day!'

-2 I love her gates, I love the road!
The church, adorn'd with grace,
Stands like a palace built for God,
To shew his milder face.

3 Up to her courts, with joys unknown,
The holy tribes repair;

e The Son of David holds his throne, And sits in judgment there.

-4 He hears our praises, and complaints;
e And while his awful voice
Divides the sinners from the saints,
We tremble, and rejoice!

b 5 Peace be within this sacred place,
And joy a constant guest!

With holy gifts and heavenly grace,
Be her attendants blest.

-6 My soul shall pray for Zion still,
While life or breath remains;
Here my best friends, my kindred dwell,
Here God, my Saviour, reigns.

go

b 1

P. M. Dalston. [*]

Joy in the Worship and Blessedness of Zion.
OW pleas'd and blest was I,
To hear the people cry,

H

o 'Come, let us seek our God to-day!'
Yes, with a cheerful zeal,
We'll haste to Zion's hill,

e

And there our vows and honours pay. -2 Zion, thrice happy place,

Adorn'd with wondrous grace,

And walls of strength embrace thee round;
In thee our tribes appear,

To pray, and praise, and hear
The sacred gospel's joyful sound.
3 Here David's greater Son
Has fix'd his royal throne;

He sits for grace and judgment here:
He bids the saints be glad;

He makes the sinner sad;

-And humble souls rejoice with fear.
b 4 May peace attend thy gate,
And joy within thee wait,
To bless the soul of ev'ry guest;
The man who seeks thy peace,
And wishes thine increase,

• A thousand blessings on him rest!
-5 My tongue repeats her vows-
'Peace to this sacred house!'

e

-For here my friends and kindred dwell;

0 And since my glorious God
Makes thee his blest abode,
My soul shall ever love thee well.
Repeat the 4th stanza, if necessary.

PSALM 123. C. M. China. [*]

ટ

Pleading with Submission.
THOU, whose grace and justice reign,
Enthron'd above the skies,

To thee our hearts would tell their pain,
To thee we lift our eyes.

2 As servants watch their master's hand,
And fear the angry stroke
Or maids before their mistress stand,
And wait a peaceful look ;

3 So for our sins we justly feel
Thy discipline, O God;

Yet wait the gracious moment still,
Till thou remove thy rod.

4 Those, who in wealth and pleasure live,
Our daily groans deride;

And thy delays of mercy give

Fresh courage to their pride.

5 Our foes insult us, but our hope
In thy compassion lies;

This thought shall bear our spirits up,
That God will not despise.

PSALM 124. L. M. Nantwich. Truro. [*]
Song for Deliverance.

1 HAD not to

AD not the Lord, may Israel say,

Had not the Lord maintain'd our side,

When men, to make our lives a prey,
Rose like the swelling of the tide;

2 The swelling tide had stop'd our breath:
So fiercely did the waters roll,

We had been swallow'd deep in death-
Proud waters had o'erwhelm'd our soul!
u 3 We leap for joy, we shout and sing,
Who just escap'd the fatal stroke;
So flies the bird, with cheerful wing,
When once the fowler's snare is broke.