That I might duly learn and keep

The statutes of my God.

JOD.

73 To me, who am the workmanship
Of thy Almighty hands,
The heavenly understanding give
To learn thy just commands.
74 My preservation to thy saints
Strong comfort will afford,
To see success attend my hopes,
Who trusted in thy word.

Does all their orbs sustain.

90 Through circling ages, Lord, thy truth Immoveable shall stand,

As doth the earth, which thou uphold'st By thy Almighty hand.

91 All things the course by thee ordain'd E'en to this day fulfil;

They are thy faithful subjects all,
And servants of thy will.

By sure experience see;

And that in faithfulness, O Lord,

Thou hast afflicted me.

76 O let thy tender mercy now
Afford me needful aid;"
According to thy promise, Lord,
To me. thy servant, made.
77 To me thy saving grace restore,
That I again may live:
Whose soul can relish no delight,
But what thy precepts give.

78 Defeat the proud, who, unprovok'd,
To ruin me have sought,
Who only on thy sacred laws

Employ my harmless thought

79 Let those that fear thy name espouse
My cause, and those alone
Who have, by strict and pious search,
Thy sacred precepts known.
80 In thy blest statutes let my heart
Continue always sound;

That guilt and shame, the sinner's lot,
May never me confound.

CAPH

My comfort and delight.

I must have fainted, and expir'd
In dark affliction's night.

93 Thy precepts, therefore, from my thoughts

Shall never, Lord, depart;
For thou by them hast to new life
Restor'd my dying heart.

94 As I am thine, entirely thine,
Protect me, Lord, from harm,
Who have thy precepts sought to know,
And carefully perform

95 The wicked have their ambush laid
My guiltless life to take;
But in the midst of danger I

Thy word my study make.
96 I've seen an end of what we call
Perfection here below;

But thy commandments, like thyself,
No change or period know.
MEM.

97 The love that to thy laws I bear
No language can display;

To see thy saving grace;

Yet still on thy unerring word

My confidence I place.

82 My very eyes consume and fail With waiting for thy word;

when wilt thou thy kind relief

And promis'd aid afford?

83 My skin like shrivell'd That long in smoke is set; Yet no affliction me can force Thy statutes to forget.

parchment [shows,

84 How many days must I endure
Of sorrow and distress?
When wilt thou judgment execute
On them who me oppress?

85 The proud have digg'd a pit for me.
That have no other foes,
But such as are averse to thee,
And thy just laws oppose.

86 With sacred truth's eternal laws
All thy commands agree;
Men persecute me without cause;
Thou, Lord, my helper be.

87 With close designs against my life
They had almost prevail'd;
But in obedience to thy will,"
My duty never fail'd.

88 Thy wonted kindness, Lord, restore, My drooping heart to cheer;

My ravish'd thoughts all day.

99 Through thy commands I wiser grow Than all my subtle foes;

For thy sure word doth me direct,
And all my ways dispose.

99 From me my former teachers now
May abler counsel take;
Because thy sacred precepts 1
My constant study make.
100 In understanding I excel
The sages of our days:
Because by thy unerring rules
I order all my ways.

101 My feet with care I have refrain'd
From every sinful way,

That to thy sacred word I might
Entire obedience pay.

102 I have not from thy Judgments By vain desires misled;

[stray'd, For, Lord, thou hast instructed me

Thy righteous paths to tread. 103 How sweet are all thy words to me! O what divine repast!

How much more grateful to my soul
Than honey to my taste!
104 Taught by thy sacred precepts, I
With heavenly skill am blest,
Through which the treacherous ways of
I utterly detest.

60

were,

Which thou didst first decree ;
And all with faithfulness perform'd,
Succeeding times shall see.

139 With zeal my flesh consumes away,
My soul with anguish frets,
To see my foes contemn at once
Thy promises and threats.
140 Yet each neglected word of thine,
Howe'er by them despis'd,
Is pure, and for eternal truth
By me thy servant, priz'd.

141 Brought, for thy sake, to low estate, Contempt from all 1 find;

Yet no affronts or wrongs can drive
Thy precepts from my mind.
142 Thy righteousness shall then endure,
When time itself is past;
Thy law is truth itself, that truth
Which shall for ever last.

143 Though trouble, anguish, doubts, and dread,

To compass me unite:
Beset with danger, still I make
Thy precepts my delight.
144 Eternal and unerring rules
Thy testimonies give

Teach me the wisdom that will make
My soul for ever live.

ΚΟΡΗ.

345 With my whole heart to God I call'd,
Lord, hear my earnest cry;
And I thy statutes to perform
Will all my care apply.

146 Again more fervently I pray'd,
O save me, that I may
Thy testimonies throughly know,
And steadfastly obey.

147 My earlier prayer the dawning day Prevented, while I cry'd

To him, on whose engaging word
My hope alone rely'd

148 With zeal have I awak'd before
The midnight watch was set,
That I of thy mysterious word
Might perfect knowledge get.
149 Lord, hear my supplicating voice,
And wonted favour show:
O quicken me, and so approve
Thy judgment ever true.
150 My persecuting foes advance,
And hourly nearer draw,

What treatment can I hope from them
That violate thy law?

151 Though they draw nigh, my comfort is,

Thou, Lord, art yet more near; Thou, whose commands are righteous all, Thy promises sincere.

152 Concerning thy divine decrees, My soul has known of old,

That they were true, and shall their truth To endless ages hold.

RESCH.

153 Consider my affliction, Lord, And me from bondage draw; Think on thy servant in distress, Who ne'er forgets thy law.

them

SCHIN.

161 Though mighty tyrants, without

~ause,

Conspire my blood to shed,

Thy sacred word has power alone
To fill my heart with dread.

162 And yet that word my joyful breast
With heavenly rapture warms;
Nor conquest, nor the spoils of war,
Have such transporting charms.
163 Perfidious practices and lies
I utterly detest;

But to thy laws affection bear,

Too vast to be exprest

164 Seven times a day, with grateful voice,

Thy praises I resound, Because I find thy judgments all

With truth and justice crown'd.

165 Secure substantial peace have they Who truly love thy law;

No smiling mischief them can tempt,
Nor frowning danger awe.

166 For thy salvation I have hop'd,
And though so long delay'd,
With cheerful zeal and strictest care
All thy commands obey'd.
167 Thy testimonies I have kept,
And constantly obey'd;
Because the love 1 bore to them

Thy service easy made.

168 From strict observance of thy laws
I never yet withdrew ;
Convinc'd that my most secret ways
Are open to thy view.
TAU.

169 To my request and earnest cry,
Attend, O gracious Lord;
Inspire my heart with heavenly skill,
According to thy word.

170 I et my repeated prayer at last
Before thy throne appear;
According to thy plighted word,
For my relief draw near.

171 Then shall my grateful lips return The tribute of their praise,

When thou thy counsels hast reveal d,
And taught me thy just ways.
172 My tongue the praises of thy word
Shall thankfully resound,
Because thy promises are all

With truth and justice crown'd.
173 Let thy Almighty arm appear,
And bring me timely aid;
For I the laws thou hast ordain'd

My heart's free choice have made. 174 My soul has waited long to see Thy saving grace restor'd;" Nor comfort knew, but what thy laws, Thy heavenly laws afford. 175 Prolong my life that I may sing My great Restorer's praise; Whose justice, from the depths of woe My fainting soul shall raise. 176 Like some lost sheep I've stray'd,

till I

Despair my way to find;

Thou, therefore,. Lord, thy servant seek,
Who keeps thy laws in mind.
PSALM CXX.

Ν

IN deep distress 1 oft have cry'd

To God, who never yet deny'd

To rescue me oppress'd with wrongs; 2 Once more, O Lord, deliv'rance send, From lying lips my soul defend,

And from the rage of sland'ring tongues. 3 What little profit can accrue, And yet what heavy wrath is due,

O thou perfidious tongue, to thee! 4 Thy sting upon thyself shall turn; Of lasting flames, that fiercely burn, The constant fuel thou shalt be.

5 But, O how wretched is my doom, Who am a sojourner become

In barren Mesech's desert soil! With Kedar's wicked tents enclos'd, To lawless savages expos'd,

Who live on nought but theft and spoil. 6 My hapless dwelling is with those Who peace and amity oppose,

And pleasure take in others' harms: 7 Sweet peace is all I court and seek; But when to them of peace I speak, They straight cry out, To arms, to

arms.

PSALM CXXII.

"TWAS a joyful sound to hear

Our tribes devoutly say,

Up, Israel, to the temple haste,
And keep your festal day!

2 At Salem's courts we must appear,
With our assembled powers,

3 In strong and beauteous order rang'd, Like her united towers.

4 Tis thither, by divine command
Before his ark to celebrate
The tribes of God repair,

His name with praise and prayer.
5 Tribunals stand erected there,
Where equity takes place :
There stand the courts and palaces
Of royal David's race.

6 O, pray we then for Salem's peace.
For they shall prosp'rous be,
Thou holy city of our God,

Who bear true love to thee.
7 May peace within thy sacred walls
A constant guest be found;
With plenty and prosperity

Thy palaces be crown'd.

8 For my dear brethren's sake, and friends

No less than brethren dear,

I'll pray... May peace in Salem's towers
A constant guest appear.
9 But most of all I'll seek thy good,
And ever wish thee well,
For Sion and the temple's sake,
Where God vouchsafes to dwell.
PSALM CXXIII.

ON thee, who dwell'st above the skies,

For mercy wait my longing eyes; As servants wait their masters' hands, And maids their mistresses' commands 3, 4 O then have mercy on us, Lord; Thy gracions aid to us afford; To us, whom cruel foes oppress, Grown rich and proud by our distress PSALM CXXIV.

HAD

[AD not the Lord, may Israel say,
Been pleas d to interpose;

2 Had he not then espous d our cause
When men against us rose;

3. 4. 5 Their wrath had swallow'd us alive,

And rag'd without control;
Their spite and pride's united floods
Had quite o'erwhelm'd our soul.
6 But prais'd be our eternal Lord,
Who rescued us that day,
Nor to their savage jaws gave up
Our threaten'd' lives a prey.
7 Our soul is like a bird escap'd
From out the fowler's net;

The snare is broke, their hopes are cross'd,

And we at freedom set.

8 Secure in his Almighty name Our confidence remains,

WH

PSALM CXXV.

THO place on Sion's God their trust,
Like Sion's rock shall stand;

Like her immoveable be fix'd

By his Almighty hand.

2 Look how the hills on every side
Jerusalem enclose;

So stands the Lord around his saints,
To guard them from their foes.
3 The wicked may afflict the just,
But ne'er too long oppress,
Nor force him by despair to seek

Base means for his redress.

4 Be good, O righteous God, to those
Who righteous deeds affect;
The heart that innocence retains,

Let innocence protect.

5 All those who walk in crooked paths,
The Lord shall soon destroy,
Cut off th' unjust, but crown the saints
With lasting peace and joy.
PSALM CXXVI.

As piety's reward.

4 As arrows in a giant's hand,
When marching forth to war;
Ev'n so the sons of sprightly youth,
Their parents' safeguard are.

5 Happy the man whose quiver's fill'd With these prevailing arms;

He need not fear to meet his foe,
At law or war's alarms.

PSALM CXXVIII.

THE man is blest that fears the Lord, Nor only worship pays,

But keeps his steps confind with care
To his appointed ways.

2 He shall upon the sweet returns
Of his own labour feed;
Without dependence live, and see
His wishes all succeed.

3 His wife, like a fair fertile vine,
Her lovely fruit shail bring;
His children, like young olive plants,
About his table spring.

4

Who fears the Lord shall prosper thus; Him Sion's God shall bless,

5 And grant him all his days to see Jerusalem's success.

6 He shall live on, till heirs from him Descend with vast increase;

Much bless'd in his own prosperous state, And more in Israel's peace.

PSALM CXXIX.

ROM my youth up, may Israel say, They oft have me assail'd.

F

2

Reduc'd me oft to heavy straits,

But never quite prevail'd

3 Twas great," say they, wondrous great:"

"twas

3

They oft have plough'd my patient

back

Much more should we confess,

Yet doubtless he shall come

Their righteous doom, who Sion hate, And Sion's God oppose.

6 Like corn upon our houses' tops, Untimely let them fade,

Which too much heat, and want of root,

Has blasted in the blade:

7 Which in his arms no reaper takes,
But unregarded leaves;

No binder thinks it worth his pains
To fold it into sheaves.

The joyful harvest home.

WE

PSALM CXXVII.

TE build with fruitless cost, unless
The Lord the pile sustain:
Unless the Lord the city keep,
The watchman wakes in vain.
2 In vain we rise before the day,
And late to rest repair,

Allow no respite to our toil,
And eat the bread of care.
Supplies of life, with ease to them,
He on his saints bestows;

Ile crowns their labours with success,
Their nights with sound repose.