THY

PSALM LXXXIX.

HY mercies, Lord, shall be my song; my song on them shall ever dwell; To ages yet unborn, my tongue

thy never-failing truth shall tell. 2 I have affirm'd, and still maintain, thy mercy shall for ever last;

Thy truth, that does the heavens sustain, like them shall stand for ever fast. 3 Thus spak'st thou by thy prophet's voice: "With David I a league have made; "To him, my servant, and my choice, "by solemn oath this grant convey'd: 4" While earth, and seas, and skies endure, thy seed shall in my sight remain ; "To them thy throne I will ensure, "they shall to endless ages reign." 5 For such stupendous truth and love, both heaven and earth just praises owe, By choirs of angels sung above, and by assembled saints below.

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6 What seraph of celestial birth

to vie with Israel's God shall dare? Or who among the gods of earth with our Almighty Lord compare? 7 With rev'rence and religious dread,

his saints should to his temple press; His fear through all their hearts should spread, who his Almighty name confess.

8 Lord God of armies, who can boast

of strength or power like thine renown'd? Of such a num'rous, faithful host,

as that which does thy throne surround?

9 Thou dost the lawless sea control,

and change the prospect of the deep; Thou mak'st the sleeping billows roll; thou mak'st the rolling billows sleep. 10 Thou break'st in pieces Rahab's pride, and didst oppressing power disarm; Thy scatter'd foes have dearly try'd the force of thy resistless arm.

11 In thee the sov'reign right remains

of earth and heaven; thee, Lord, alone
The world, and all that it contains,
their Maker and Preserver own.

12 The poles on which the globe does rest
were form'd by thy creating voice;
Tabor and Hermon, east and west,
in thy sustaining power rejoice.

13 Thy arm is mighty, strong thy hand,

yet, Lord, thou dost with justice reign;

14 Possess'd of absolute command,
thou truth and mercy dost maintain.
15 Happy, thrice happy they, who hear
thy sacred trumpet's joyful sound;
Who may at festivals appear,

with thy most glorious presence crown'd.
16 Thy saints shall always be o'erjoy'd,
who on thy sacred name rely;
And, in thy righteousness employ'd,
above their foes be rais'd on high.
17 For in thy strength they shall advance,
whose conquests from thy favour spring;
18 The Lord of hosts is our defence,

and Israel's God our Israel's King. 19 Thus spak'st thou by thy Prophet's voice, "A mighty champion I will send ; "From Judah's tribe have I made choice "of one, who shall the rest defend. 20" My servant David I have found, "with holy oil anointed him;

21

"Him shall the hand support that crown'd, "and guard, that gave the diadem.

22 "No prince from him shall tribute force,
no son of strife shall him annoy;
23"His spiteful foes I will disperse,

"and them before his face destroy.
24 "My truth and grace shall him sustain;
"his armies, in well-order'd ranks,
25"Shall conquer, from the Tyrian Main
"to Tigris and Euphrates' banks.
26" Me for his father he shall take,

"his God and rock of safety call; 27" Him I my first-born son will make, " and earthly kings his subjects all. 28 To him my mercy I'll secure,

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66 my cov❜nant make for ever fast:

29"His seed for ever shall endure;

"his throne, till heaven dissolves, shall last. PART II.

30 "But if his heirs my law forsake,

"and from my sacred precepts stray; 31"If they my righteous statutes break, "nor strictly my commands obey; 32"Their sins I'll visit with a rod,

" and for their folly make them smart; 33" Yet will not cease to be their God, "nor from my truth, like them, depart. 34"My cov'nant I will ne'er revoke,

n;

"but in remembrance fast retain "The thing that once my lips have spoke "shall in eternal force remain.

35 "Once I have sworn, but once for all,
"and made my holiness the tie,
"That I my grant will ne'er recall,

nor to my servant David lie:

36"Whose throne and race the constant sun
"shall, like his course, establish'd see;
37" Of this my oath, thou conscious moon,
"in heaven my faithful witness be."
38 Such was thy gracious promise, Lord;
but thou hast now our tribes forsook,
Thy own Anointed hast abhorr'd,

and turn'd on him thy wrathful look. 39 Thou seemest to have render'd void the cov'nant with thy servant made; Thou hast his dignity destroy'd,

and in the dust his honour laid. 40 Of strong holds thou hast him bereft, and brought his bulwarks to decay; 41 His frontier coasts defenceless left,

a public scorn, and common prey. 42 His ruin does glad triumphs yield

to foes, advanc'd by thee to might; 43 Thou hast his conqu❜ring sword unsteel'd, his valour turn'd to shameful flight.

44 His glory is to darkness fled,

his throne is levell'd with the ground;

45 His youth to wretched bondage led,

with shame o'erwhelm'd and sorrow drown'd.

46 How long shall we thy absence mourn?
wilt thou for ever, Lord, retire?
Shall thy consuming anger burn,
till that and we at once expire?
47 Consider, Lord, how short a space
thou dost for mortal life ordain;
No method to prolong the race,

but loading it with grief and pain. 48 What man is he that can control death's strict unalterable doom? Or rescue from the grave his soul,

the grave that dost mankind entomb?

49 Lord, where's thy love, thy boundless grace, the oath to which thy truth did seal, Consign'd to David and his race,

the grant which time shall ne'er repeal?

50 See how thy servants treated are with infamy, reproach and spite; Which in my silent breast I bear, from nations of licentious might.

51 How they, reproaching thy great name, have made thy servant's hope their jest;

52 Yet thy just praises we'll proclaim, and ever sing, The Lord be blest.

PSALM XC.

LORD, the Saviour and defence
of us thy chosen race,

From age to age thou still hast been
our sure abiding-place.

2 Before thou brought'st the mountains forth, or th' earth and world didst frame, Thou always wast the mighty God, and ever art the same.

3 Thou turnest man, O Lord, to dust, of which he first was made;

And when thou speak'st the word, Return, 'tis instantly obey'd.

4 For in thy sight a thousand years

are like a day that's past,

Or like a watch in dead of night,
whose hours unminded waste.

5 Thou sweep'st us off as with a flood,
we vanish hence like dreams;
At first we grow like grass that feels
the sun's reviving beams:

6 But howsoever fresh and fair

its morning beauty shows;

'Tis all cut down and wither'd quite,
before the ev'ning close.

7, 8 We by thine anger are consum'd,
and by thy wrath dismay'd;
Our public crimes and secret sins
before thy sight are laid.

9 Beneath thy anger's sad effects
our drooping days we spend;
Our unregarded years break off,
like tales that quickly end.

10 Our term of time is seventy years,

an age that few survive;

But if, with more than common strength,

to eighty we arrive,

Yet then our boasted strength decays,

to sorrow turn'd and pain;

So soon the slender thread is cut,

and we no more remain.

PART II.

11 But who thy anger's dread effects
does, as he ought, revere?

And yet thy wrath does fall or rise,
as more or less we fear.

12 So teach us, Lord, th' uncertain sum
of our short days to mind,

That to true wisdom all our hearts
may ever be inclin❜d.

13 O to thy servants, Lord, return,
and speedily relent!

As we forsake our sins, do thou
revoke our punishment.

14 To satisfy and cheer our souls,
thy early mercy send;

That we may all our days to come
in joy and comfort spend.

15 Let happy times, with large amends,
dry up our former tears,

Or equal at the least the term
of our afflicted years.

16 To all thy servants, Lord, let thiş
thy wondrous work be known,
And to our offspring yet unborn
thy glorious power be shown.
17 Let thy bright rays upon us shine,
give thou our work success;

The glorious work we have in hand
do thou vouchsafe to bless.

H

PSALM XCI.

1 TTE that has God his guardian made Shall, under the Almighty's shade, secure and undisturb'd abide:

2 Thus to my soul of him I'll say, He is my fortress and my stay,

my God, in whom I will confide. 3 His tender love and watchful care Shall free thee from the fowler's snare, and from the noisome pestilence: 4 He over thee his wings shall spread, And cover thy unguarded head;

his truth shall be thy strong defence. 5 No terrors that surprise by night Shall thy undaunted courage fright, nor deadly shafts that fly by day; 6 Nor plague, of unknown rise, that kills In darkness, nor infectious ills

that in the hottest season slay.

7 A thousand at thy side shall die, At thy right hand ten thousand lie, while thy firm health untouch'd remains;

8 Thou only shalt look on and see The wicked's dismal tragedy,

and count the sinner's mournful gains. 9 Because, with well-plac'd confidence, Thou mak'st the Lord thy sure defence, and on the Highest dost rely; 10 Therefore no ill shall thee befall, Nor to thy healthful dwelling shall any infectious plagues draw nigh.