Blest is the man who shuns the place Where sinners love to meet; Who fears to tread their wicked ways, And hates the scoffer's seat: But in the statutes of the Lord Has placed his chief delight; By day he reads or hears the word, And meditates by night. [He, like a plant of gen'rous kind, By living waters set, Safe from the storms and blasting wind, Enjoys a peaceful state.] Green as the leaf, and ever fair, Shall his profession shine While fruits of holiness appear Like clusters on the vine. Not so the impious and unjust; What vain designs they form! Their hopes are blown away like dust, Or chaff before the storm. Sinners in judgment shall not stand Amongst the sons of grace, When Christ, the Judge, at his right hand Appoints his saints a place. His eye beholds the path they tread, His heart approves it well But crooked ways of sinners lead Down to the gates of hell.
Why did the nations join to slay The Lord's anointed Son? Why did they cast his laws away, And tread his gospel down? The Lord, that sits above the skies, Derides their rage below; He speaks with vengeance in his eyes, And strikes their spirits through. "I call him my Eternal Son, And raise him from the dead; I make my holy hill his throne, And wide his kingdom spread. "Ask me, my Son, and then enjoy The utmost heathen lands: Thy rod of iron shall destroy The rebel that withstands." Be wise, ye rulers of the earth, Obey th' anointed Lord, Adore the King of heav'nly birth, And tremble at his word. With humble love address his throne; For if he frown, ye die: Those are secure, and those alone, Who on his grace rely.
My God, how many are my fears! How fast my foes increase! Conspiring my eternal death, They break my present peace. The lying tempter would persuade There's no relief in heav'n; And all my swelling sins appear Too big to be forgiv'n. But thou, my glory and my strength, Shalt on the tempter tread, Shalt silence all my threatening guilt, And raise my drooping head. [I cried, and from his holy lull He bowed a listening ear; I called my Father, and my God, And he subdued my fear. He shed soft slumbers on mine eyes, In spite of all my foes; I woke, and wondered at the grace That guarded my repose.] What though the hosts of death and hell All armed against me stood, Terrors no more shall shake my soul; My refuge is my God. Arise, O Lord, fulfil thy grace, While I thy glory sing; My God has broke the serpent's teeth, And death has lost his sting. Salvation to the Lord belongs; His arm alone can save: Blessings attend thy people here, And reach beyond the grave.
Lord, thou wilt hear me when I pray, I am for ever thine; I fear before thee all the day, Nor would I dare to sin. And while I rest my weary head, From cares and business free, 'Tis sweet conversing on my bed, With my own heart and thee. I pay this evening sacrifice: And when my work is done, Great God, my faith and hope relies Upon thy grace alone. Thus, with my thoughts composed to pray, I'll give mine eyes to sleep; Thy hand in safety keeps my days, And will my slumbers keep.
Lord, in the morning thou shalt hear My voice ascending high; To thee will I direct my prayer, To thee lift up mine eye; Up to the hills where Christ is gone To plead for all his saints, Presenting at his Father's throne Our songs and our complaints. Thou art a God, before whose sight The wicked shall not stand; Sinners shall ne'er be thy delight, Nor dwell at thy right hand. But to thy house will I resort, To taste thy mercies there; I will frequent thine holy court, And worship in thy fear. O may thy Spirit guide my feet In ways of righteousness! Make every path of duty straight, And plain before my face. PAUSE. My watchful enemies combine To tempt my feet astray; They flatter, with a base design To make my soul their prey. Lord, crush the serpent in the dust, And all his plots destroy; While those that in thy mercy trust, For ever shout for joy. The men that love and fear thy name Shall see their hopes fulfilled; The mighty God will compass them With favor as a shield.
In anger, Lord, rebuke me not; Withdraw the dreadful storm; Nor let thy fury grow so hot Against a feeble worm. My soul's bowed down with heavy cares, My flesh with pain oppressed; My couch is witness to my tears, My tears forbid my rest. Sorrow and pain wear out my days, I waste the night with cries, Counting the minutes as they pass, Till the slow morning rise. Shall I be still tormented more? Mine eye consumed with grief? How long, my God, how long before Thine hand afford relief? He hears when dust and ashes speak, He pities all our groans; He saves us for his mercy's sake, And heals our broken bones. The virtue of his sovereign word Restores our fainting breath; For silent graves praise not the Lord, Nor is he known in death.
My trust is in my heav'nly Friend, My hope in thee, my God; Rise, and my helpless life defend From those that seek my blood. With insolence and fury they My soul in pieces tear, As hungry lions rend the prey, When no deliverer's near. If I had e'er provoked them first, Or once abused my foe, Then let him tread my life to dust, And lay mine honor low. If there be malice found in me, I know thy piercing eyes; I should not dare appeal to thee, Nor ask my God to rise. Arise, my God, lift up thy hand, Their pride and power control; Awake to judgment, and command Deliverance for my soul. PAUSE. [Let sinners, and their wicked rage, Be humbled to the dust; Shall not the God of truth engage To vindicate the just? He knows the heart, he tries the reins, He will defend th' upright His sharpest arrows he ordains Against the sons of spite. For me their malice digged a pit, But there themselves are cast; My God makes all their mischief light On their own heads at last.] That cruel, persecuting race Must feel his dreadful sword: Awake, my soul, and praise the grace And justice of the Lord.
O LORD, our Lord, how wondrous great Is thine exalted name! The glories of thy heav'nly state Let men and babes proclaim. When I behold thy works on high, The moon that rules the night, And stars that well adorn the sky, Those moving worlds of light; Lord, what is man, or all his race, Who dwells so far below, That thou shouldst visit him with grace, And love his nature so? That thine eternal Son should bear To take a mortal form; Made lower than his angels are, To save a dying worm? [Yet while he lived on earth unknown, And men would not adore, Th' obedient seas and fishes own His Godhead and his power. The waves lay spread beneath his feet; And fish, at his command, Bring their large shoals to Peter's feet, Bring tribute to his hand. These lesser glories of the Son Shone through the fleshly cloud; Now, we behold him on his throne, And men confess him God.] Let him be crowned with majesty, Who bowed his head to death; And be his honors sounded high, By all things that have breath. Jesus, our Lord, how wondrous great Is thine exalted name! The glories of thy heav'nly state Let the whole earth proclaim.
With my whole heart I'll raise my song, Thy wonders I'll proclaim; Thou, sovereign Judge of right and wrong, Wilt put my foes to shame. I'll sing thy majesty and grace; My God prepares his throne To judge the world in righteousness, And make his vengeance known. Then shall the Lord a refuge prove For all the poor oppressed; To save the people of his love, And give the weary rest. The men that know thy name will trust In thy abundant grace; For thou hast ne'er forsook the just, Who humbly seek thy face. Sing praises to the righteous Lord, Who dwells on Zion's hill, Who executes his threatening word, And doth his grace fulfil.
When the great Judge, supreme and just, Shall once inquire for blood, The humble souls that mourn in dust Shall find a faithful God. He from the dreadful gates of death Does his own children raise; In Zion's gates, with cheerful breath, They sing their Father's praise. His foes shall fall, with heedless feet, Into the pit they made; And sinners perish in the net That their own hands had spread. Thus, by thy judgments, mighty God, Are thy deep counsels known; When men of mischief are destroyed, The snare must be their own. PAUSE. The wicked shall sink down to hell; Thy wrath devour the lands That dare forget thee, or rebel Against thy known commands. Though saints to sore distress are brought, And wait and long complain, Their cries shall not be still forgot, Nor shall their hopes be vain. [Rise, great Redeemer, from thy seat, To judge and save the poor; Let nations tremble at thy feet, And man prevail no more. Thy thunder shall affright the proud, And put their hearts to pain; Make them confess that thou art God, And they but feeble men.]
Why doth the Lord stand off so far? And why conceal his face, When great calamities appear, And times of deep distress? Lord, shall the wicked still deride Thy justice and thy power? Shall they advance their heads in pride, And still thy saints devour? They put thy judgments from their sight, And then insult the poor; They boast in their exalted height, That they shall fall no more. Arise, O God, lift up thine hand, Attend our humble cry; No enemy shall dare to stand When God ascends on high. PAUSE. Why do the men of malice rage, And say, with foolish pride, "The God of heav'n will ne'er engage To fight on Zion's side?" But thou for ever art our Lord; And powerful is thine hand, As when the heathens felt thy sword, And perished from thy land. Thou wilt prepare our hearts to pray, And cause thine ear to hear; He hearkens what his children say, And puts the world in fear. Proud tyrants shall no more oppress, No more despise the just; And mighty sinners shall confess They are but earth and dust.
Help, Lord, for men of virtue fail, Religion loses ground, The sons of violence prevail, And treacheries abound. Their oaths and promises they break, Yet act the flatterer's part; With fair, deceitful lips they speak, And with a double heart. If we reprove some hateful lie, How is their fury stirred "Are not our lips our own?" they cry; "And who shall be our Lord?" Scoffers appear on every side, Where a vile race of men Is raised to seats of power and pride, And bears the sword in vain. PAUSE. Lord, when iniquities abound, And blasphemy grows bold; When faith is hardly to be found, And love is waxing cold; Is not thy chariot hast'ning on? Hast thou not giv'n this sign? May we not trust and live upon A promise so divine? "Yes," saith the Lord, "now will I rise, And make oppressors flee; I shall appear to their surprise, And set my servants free." Thy word, like silver sev'n times tried, Through ages shall endure; The men that in thy truth confide Shall find the promise sure.
How long wilt thou conceal thy face? My God, how long delay? When shall I feel those heav'nly rays That chase my fears away? How long shall my poor lab'ring soul Wrestle and toil in vain? Thy word can all my foes control, And ease my raging pain. See how the prince of darkness tries All his malicious arts He spreads a mist around my eyes, And throws his fiery darts. Be thou my sun, and thou my shield, My soul in safety keep; Make haste, before mine eyes are sealed In death's eternal sleep. How would the tempter boast aloud If I become his prey! Behold, the sons of hell grow proud At thy so long delay. But they shall fly at thy rebuke, And Satan hide his head; He knows the terrors of thy look, And hears thy voice with dread. Thou wilt display that sovereign grace, Where all my hopes have hung; I shall employ my lips in praise, And victory shall be sung.
Fools in their heart believe and say "That all religion's vain; There is no God that reigns on high, Or minds th' affairs of men." From thoughts so dreadful and profane, Corrupt discourse proceeds; And in their impious hands are found Abominable deeds. The Lord from his celestial throne Looked down on things below, To find the man that sought his grace, Or did his justice know. By nature all are gone astray, Their practice all the same; There's none that fears his Maker's hand; There's none that loves his name. Their tongues are used to speak deceit, Their slanders never cease; How swift to mischief are their feet, Nor know the paths of peace! Such seeds of sin (that bitter root) In every heart are found; Nor can they bear diviner fruit, Till grace refine the ground.
Are sinners now so senseless grown That they the saints devour? And never worship at thy throne, Nor fear thine awful power? Great God! appear to their surprise; Reveal thy dreadful name; Let them no more thy wrath despise, Nor turn our hope to shame. Dost thou not dwell among the just? And yet our foes deride, That we should make thy name our trust; Great God! confound their pride. O that the joyful day were come To finish our distress! When God shall bring his children home Our songs shall never cease.
Who shall inhabit in thy hill, O God of holiness? Whom will the Lord admit to dwell So near his throne of grace? The man that walks in pious ways, And works with righteous hands; That trusts his Maker's promises, And follows his commands. He speaks the meaning of his heart, Nor slanders with his tongue; Will scarce believe an ill report, Nor do his neighbor wrong. The wealthy sinner he contemns, Loves all that fear the Lord; And though to his own hurt he swears, Still he performs his word. His hands disdain a golden bribe, And never gripe the poor: This man shall dwell with God on earth, And find his heav'n secure.
Save me, O Lord, from every foe; In thee my trust I place, Though all the good that I can do Can ne'er deserve thy grace. Yet if my God prolong my breath, The saints may profit by 't; The saints, the glory of the earth, The men of my delight. Let heathens to their idols haste, And worship wood or stone; But my delightful lot is cast Where the true God is known. His hand provides my constant food, He fills my daily cup; Much am I pleased with present good, But more rejoice in hope. God is my portion and my joy, His counsels are my light; He gives me sweet advice by day, And gentle hints by night. My soul would all her thoughts approve To his all-seeing eye; Not death, nor hell, my hope shall move, While such a Friend is nigh.
I Set the Lord before my face, He bears my courage up; My heart and tongue their joys express, My flesh shall rest in hope. "My spirit, Lord, thou wilt not leave Where souls departed are; Nor quit my body to the grave, To see corruption there. "Thou wilt reveal the path of life, And raise me to thy throne; Thy courts immortal pleasure give, Thy presence joys unknown." [Thus, in the name of Christ, the Lord, The holy David sung; And Providence fulfils the word Of his prophetic tongue. Jesus, whom ev'ry saint adores, Was crucified and slain: Behold, the tomb its prey restores! Behold, he lives again! When shall my feet arise and stand On heav'n's eternal hills? There sits the Son at God's right hand, And there the Father smiles.]
We love thee, Lord, and we adore; Now is thine arm revealed: Thou art our strength, our heav'nly tower, Our bulwark, and our shield. We fly to our eternal Rock, And find a sure defence; His holy name our lips invoke, And draw salvation thence. When God, our Leader, shines in arms, What mortal heart can bear The thunder of his loud alarms, The lightning of his spear? He rides upon the winged wind, And angels in array In millions wait to know his mind, And swift as flames obey. He speaks, and at his fierce rebuke Whole armies are dismayed; His voice, his frown, his angry look, Strikes all their courage dead. He forms our generals for the field, With all their dreadful skill; Gives them his awful sword to wield, And makes their hearts of steel. [He arms our captains to the fight, (Though there his name's forgot; He girded Cyrus with his might, But Cyrus knew him not.) Oft has the Lord whole nations blessed For his own church's sake; The powers that give his people rest, Shall of his care partake.]
To thine almighty arm we owe The triumphs of the day; Thy terrors, Lord, confound the foe, And melt their strength away. 'Tis by thine aid our troops prevail, And break united powers, Or burn their boasted fleets, or scale The proudest of their towers. How have we chased them through the field, And trod them to the ground, While thy salvation was our shield, But they no shelter found! In vain to idol saints they cry, And perish in their blood Where is a rock so great, so high, So powerful as our God? The Rock of Isr'el ever lives, His name be ever blest; 'Tis his own arm the vict'ry gives, And gives his people rest. On kings that reign as David did, He pours his blessings down; Secures their honors to their seed, And well supports the crown.
The king, O Lord, with songs of praise, Shall in thy strength rejoice; And, blest with thy salvation, raise To heav'n his cheerful voice. Thy sure defence through nations round Has spread his glorious name; And his successful actions crowned With majesty and fame. Then let the king on God alone For timely aid rely; His mercy shall support the throne, And all our wants supply. But, righteous Lord, his stubborn foes Shall feel thy dreadful hand; Thy vengeful arm shall find out those That hate his mild command. When thou against them dost engage, Thy just but dreadful doom Shall, like a fiery oven's rage, Their hopes and them consume. Thus, Lord, thy wondrous power declare, And thus exalt thy fame; Whilst we glad songs of praise prepare For thine almighty name.
Why has my God my soul forsook, Nor will a smile afford? (Thus David once in anguish spoke, And thus our dying Lord.) Though 'tis thy chief delight to dwell Among thy praising saints, Yet thou canst hear a groan as well, And pity our complaints. Our fathers trusted in thy name, And great deliv'rance found; But I'm a worm, despised of men, And trodden to the ground. Shaking the head, they pass me by, And laugh my soul to scorn; "In vain he trusts in God," they cry,. "Neglected and forlorn." But thou art he who formed my flesh By thine almighty word; And since I hung upon the breast, My hope is in the Lord. Why will my Father hide his face, When foes stand threat'ning round, In the dark hour of deep distress, And not a helper found? PAUSE. Behold thy darling left among The cruel and the proud, As bulls of Bashan, fierce and strong, As lions roaring loud. From earth and hell my sorrows meet To multiply the smart; They nail my hands, they pierce my feet, And try to vex my heart. Yet if thy sovereign hand let loose The rage of earth and hell, Why will my heav'nly Father bruise The Son he loves so well? My God, if possible it be, Withhold this bitter cup But I resign my will to thee, And drink the sorrows up). My heart dissolves with pangs unknown, In groans I waste my breath; Thy heavy hand has brought me down Low as the dust of death. Father, I give my spirit up, And trust it in thy hand; My dying flesh shall rest in hope, And rise at thy command.
"Now from the roaring lion's rage, O Lord, protect thy Son, Nor leave thy darling to engage The powers of hell alone." Thus did our suff'ring Savior pray, With mighty cries and tears; God heard him in that dreadful day, And chased away his fears. Great was the vict'ry of his death, His throne exalted high; And all the kindreds of the earth Shall worship or shall die. A num'rous offspring must arise From his expiring groans; They shall be reckoned in his eyes For daughters and for sons. The meek and humble souls shall see His table richly spread; And all that seek the Lord shall be With joys immortal fed. The isles shall know the righteousness Of our incarnate God, And nations yet unborn profess Salvation in his blood.
My shepherd will supply my need, Jehovah is his name; In pastures fresh he makes me feed, Beside the living stream. He brings my wand'ring spirit back When I forsake his ways; And leads me, for his mercy's sake, In paths of truth and grace. When I walk through the shades of death, Thy presence is my stay; A word of thy supporting breath Drives all my fears away. Thy hand, in sight of all my foes, Doth still my table spread, My cup with blessings overflows, Thine oil anoints my head. The sure provisions of my God Attend me all my days: O may thy house be mine abode, And all my work be praise! There would I find a settled rest, While others go and come; No more a stranger or a guest, But like a child at home.
The earth for ever is the Lord's, With Adam's num'rous race; He raised its arches o'er the floods, And built it on the seas. But who among the sons of men May visit thine abode? He that has hands from mischief clean, Whose heart is right with God. This is the man may rise and take The blessings of his grace; This is the lot of those that seek The God of Jacob's face. Now let our souls' immortal powers To meet the Lord prepare, Lift up their everlasting doors, The King of glory's near. The King of glory! who can tell The wonders of his might? He rules the nations; but to dwell With saints is his delight.
The Lord of glory is my light, And my salvation too; God is my strength, nor will I fear What all my foes can do. One privilege my heart desires; O grant me an abode Among the churches of thy saints, The temples of my God! There shall I offer my requests, And see thy beauty still; Shall hear thy messages of love, And there inquire thy will. When troubles rise, and storms appear, There may his children hide; God has a strong pavilion where He makes my soul abide. Now shall my head be lifted high Above my foes around, And songs of joy and victory Within thy temple sound.
Soon as I heard my Father say, "Ye children, seek my grace," My heart replied without delay, "I'll seek my Father's face." Let not thy face be hid from me, Nor frown my soul away; God of my life, I fly to thee In a distressing day. Should friends and kindred near and dear Leave me to want or die, My God would make my life his care, And all my need supply. My fainting flesh had died with grief Had not my soul believed, To see thy grace provide relief; Nor was my hope deceived. Wait on the Lord, ye trembling saints, And keep your courage up; He'll raise your spirit when it faints, And far exceed your hope.
Unto thine hand, O God of truth, My spirit I commit; Thou hast redeemed my soul from death, And saved me from the pit. The passions of my hope and fear Maintained a doubtful strife, While sorrow, pain, and sin conspired To take away my life. "My times are in thine hand," I cried, "Though I draw near the dust; Thou art the refuge where I hide, The God in whom I trust. O make thy reconciled face Upon thy servant shine, And save me for thy mercy's sake, For I'm entirely thine. PAUSE. ['Twas in my haste my spirit said, "I must despair and die, I am cut off before thine eyes; But thou hast heard my cry.] Thy goodness how divinely free! How wondrous is thy grace To those that fear thy majesty, And trust thy promises! O love the Lord, all ye his saints, And sing his praises loud; He'll bend his ear to your complaints, And recompense the proud.
My heart rejoices in thy name, My God, my help, my trust; Thou hast preserved my face from shame, Mine honor from the dust. "My life is spent with grief," I cried, "My years consumed in groans, My strength decays, mine eyes are dried, And sorrow wastes my bones." Among mine enemies my name Was a mere proverb grown, While to my neighbors I became Forgotten and unknown. Slander and fear on every side Seized and beset me round I to the throne of grace applied, And speedy rescue found. PAUSE. How great deliverance thou hast wrought Before the sons of men! The lying lips to silence brought, And made their boastings vain! Thy children from the strife of tongues Shall thy pavilion hide; Guard them from infamy and wrongs, And crush the sons of pride. Within thy secret presence, Lord, Let me for ever dwell; No fenced city, walled and barred, Secures a saint so well.
Happy the man to whom his God No more imputes his sin, But, washed in the Redeemer's blood, Hath made his garments clean! Happy beyond expression he Whose debts are thus discharged; And from the guilty bondage free, He feels his soul enlarged. His spirit hates deceit and lies, His words are all sincere; He guards his heart, he guards his eyes, To keep his conscience clear. While I my inward guilt suppressed, No quiet could I find; Thy wrath lay burning in my breast, And racked my tortured mind. Then I confessed my troubled thoughts, My secret sins revealed; Thy pard'ning grace forgave my faults, Thy grace my pardon sealed. This shall invite thy saints to pray; When like a raging flood Temptations rise, our strength and stay Is a forgiving God.
Rejoice, ye righteous, in the Lord, This work belongs to you; Sing of his name, his ways, his word, How holy, just, and true! His mercy and his righteousness Let heav'n and earth proclaim; His works of nature and of grace Reveal his wondrous name. His wisdom and almighty word The heav'nly arches spread, And by the Spirit of the Lord Their shining hosts were made. He bid the liquid waters flow To their appointed deep; The flowing seas their limits know, And their own station keep). Ye tenants of the spacious earth, With fear before him stand He spake, and nature took its birth, And rests on his command. He scorns the angry nations' rage, And breaks their vain designs; His counsel stands through every age, And in full glory shines.
Blest is the nation where the Lord Hath fixed his gracious throne, Where he reveals his heav'nly word, And calls their tribes his own. His eye with infinite survey Does the whole world behold; He formed us all of equal clay, And knows our feeble mold. Kings are not rescued by the force Of armies from the grave; Nor speed nor courage of a horse Can the bold rider save. Vain is the strength of beasts or men, To hope for safety thence; But holy souls from God obtain A strong and sure defence. God is their fear, and God their trust; When plagues or famine spread, His watchful eye secures the just Among ten thousand dead. Lord, let our hearts in thee rejoice, And bless us from thy throne; For we have made thy word our choice, And trust thy grace alone.
I'll bless the Lord from day to day; How good are all his ways! Ye humble souls that use to pray, Come, help my lips to praise. Sing to the honor of his name, How a poor suff'rer cried, Nor was his hope exposed to shame, Nor was his suit denied. When threat'ning sorrows round me stood, And endless fears arose, Like the loud billows of a flood, Redoubling all my woes; I told the Lord my sore distress, With heavy groans and tears; He gave my sharpest torments ease, And silenced all my fears. PAUSE. [O sinners, come and taste his love, Come, learn his pleasant ways; And let your own experience prove The sweetness of his grace. He bids his angels pitch their tents Round where his children dwell; What ills their heav'nly care prevents No earthly tongue can tell.] [O love the Lord, ye saints of his; His eye regards the just: How richly blest their portion is Who make the Lord their trust! Young lions, pinched with hunger, roar And famish in the wood; But God supplies his holy poor With every needful good.]
Come, children, learn to fear the Lord And that your days be long, Let not a false or spiteful word Be found upon your tongue. Depart from mischief, practise love, Pursue the works of peace; So shall the Lord your ways approve, And set your souls at ease. His eyes awake to guard the just, His ears attend their cry; When broken spirits dwell in dust, The God of grace is nigh. What though the sorrows here they taste Are sharp and tedious too, The Lord, who saves them all at last, Is their supporter now. Evil shall smite the wicked dead; But God secures his own, Prevents the mischief when they slide, Or heals the broken bone. When desolation, like a flood, O'er the proud sinner rolls, Saints find a refuge in their God, For he redeemed their souls.
Now plead my cause, Almighty God, With all the sons of strife; And fight against the men of blood, Who fight against my life. Draw out thy spear and stop their way, Lift thine avenging rod; But to my soul in mercy say, "I am thy Savior God!" They plant their snares to catch my feet, And nets of mischief spread; Plunge the destroyers in the pit That their own hands have made. Let fogs and darkness hide their way, And slipp'ry be their ground; Thy wrath shall make their lives a prey, And all their rage confound. They fly like chaff before the wind, Before thine angry breath; The angel of the Lord behind Pursues them down to death. They love the road that leads to hell; Then let the rebels die, Whose malice is implacable Against the Lord on high. But if thou hast a chosen few Amongst that impious race, Divide them from the bloody crew, By thy surprising grace. Then will I raise my tuneful voice, To make thy wonders known; In their salvation I'll rejoice, And bless thee for my own.
Behold the love, the gen'rous love, That holy David shows; Hark, how his sounding bowels move To his afflicted foes! When they are sick his soul complains, And seems to feel the smart; The spirit of the gospel reigns, And melts his pious heart. How did his flowing tears condole As for a brother dead! And fasting mortified his soul, While for their life he prayed. They groaned, and cursed him on their bed, Yet still he pleads and mourns; And double blessings on his head The righteous God returns. O glorious type of heav'nly grace! Thus Christ the Lord appears; While sinners curse, the Savior prays, And pities them with tears. He, the true David, Isr'el's King, Blest and beloved of God, To save us rebels, dead in sin, Paid his own dearest blood.
While men grow bold in wicked ways, And yet a God they own, My heart within me often says, "Their thoughts believe there's none." Their thoughts and ways at once declare, Whate'er their lips profess, God hath no wrath for them to fear, Nor will they seek his grace. What strange self-flatt'ry blinds their eyes! But there's a hast'ning hour, When they shall see with sore surprise The terrors of thy power. Thy justice shall maintain its throne, Though mountains melt away; Thy judgments are a world unknown, A deep, unfathomed sea. Above the heav'ns' created rounds, Thy mercies, Lord, extend; Thy truth outlives the narrow bounds Where time and nature end. Safety to man thy goodness brings, Nor overlooks the beast; Beneath the shadow of thy wings Thy children choose to rest. [From thee, when creature-streams run low. And mortal comforts die, Perpetual springs of life shall flow, And raise our pleasures high. Though all created light decay, And death close up our eyes, Thy presence makes eternal day, Where clouds can never rise.]
Why should I vex my soul, and fret To see the wicked rise? Or envy sinners waxing great By violence and lies? As flowery grass, cut down at noon, Before the ev'ning fades, So shall their glories vanish soon In everlasting shades. Then let me make the Lord my trust, And practise all that's good; So shall I dwell among the just, And he'll provide me food. I to my God my ways commit, And cheerful wait his will; Thy hand, which guides my doubtful feet, Shall my desires fulfil. Mine innocence shalt thou display, And make thy judgments known, Fair as the light of dawning day, And glorious as the noon. The meek at last the earth possess, And are the heirs of heav'n; True riches, with abundant peace, To humble souls are giv'n. PAUSE. Rest in the Lord, and keep his way, Nor let your anger rise, Though Providence should long delay To punish haughty vice. Let sinners join to break your peace, And plot, and rage, and foam; The Lord derides them, for he sees Their day of vengeance come. They have drawn out the threat'ning sword, Have bent the murd'rous bow, To slay the men that fear the Lord, And bring the righteous low. My God shall break their bows, and burn Their persecuting darts, Shall their own swords against them turn, And pain surprise their hearts.
Why do the wealthy wicked boast, And grow profanely bold? The meanest portion of the just Excels the sinner's gold. The wicked borrows of his friends, But ne'er designs to pay; The saint is merciful and lends, Nor turns the poor away. His alms with lib'ral heart he gives Amongst the sons of need; His mem'ry to long ages lives, And blessed is his seed. His lips abhor to talk profane, To slander or defraud; His ready tongue declares to men What he has learned of God. The law and gospel of the Lord Deep in his heart abide; Led by the Spirit and the word, His feet shall never slide. When sinners fall, the righteous stand, Preserved from every snare; They shall possess the promised land, And dwell for ever there.
My God, the steps of pious men Are ordered by thy will; Though they should fall, they rise again, Thy hand supports them still. The Lord delights to see their ways, Their virtue he approves; He'll ne'er deprive them of his grace, Nor leave the men he loves. The heav'nly heritage is theirs, Their portion and their home; He feeds them now, and makes them heirs Of blessings long to come. Wait on the Lord, ye sons of men, Nor fear when tyrants frown; Ye shall confess their pride was vain, When justice casts them down. PAUSE. The haughty sinner have I seen, Nor fearing man nor God, Like a tall bay-tree, fair and green, Spreading his arms abroad. And lo! he vanished from the ground, Destroyed by hands unseen; Nor root, nor branch, nor leaf was found Where all that pride had been. But mark the man of righteousness, His several steps attend; True pleasure runs through all his ways, And peaceful is his end.
Amidst thy wrath remember love, Restore thy servant, Lord; Nor let a Father's chast'ning prove Like an avenger's sword. Thine arrows stick within my heart, My flesh is sorely pressed; Between the sorrow and the smart, My spirit finds no rest. My sins a heavy load appear, And o'er my head are gone; Too heavy they for me to bear, Too hard for me t' atone. My thoughts are like a troubled sea, My head still bending down; And I go mourning all the day, Beneath my Father's frown. Lord, I am weak and broken sore, None of my powers are whole: The inward anguish makes me roar, The anguish of my soul. All my desire to thee is known, Thine eye counts every tear; And every sigh, and every groan, Is noticed by thine ear. Thou art my God, my only hope; My God will hear my cry; My God will bear my spirit up, When Satan bids me die. [My foot is ever apt to slide, My foes rejoice to see 't; They raise their pleasure and their pride When they supplant my feet. But I'll confess my guilt to thee, And grieve for all my sin; I'll mourn how weak my graces be, And beg support divine. My God, forgive my follies past, And be for ever nigh; O Lord of my salvation, haste, Before thy servant die.]
Thus I resolved before the Lord, "Now will I watch my tongue; Lest I let slip one sinful word, Or do my neighbor wrong." And if I'm e'er constrained to stay With men of lives profane, I'll set a double guard that day, Nor let my talk be vain. I'll scarce allow my lips to speak The pious thoughts I feel, Lest scoffers should th' occasion take To mock my holy zeal. Yet if some proper hour appear, I'll not be overawed, But let the scoffing sinners hear That I can speak for God.
Teach me the measure of my days, Thou Maker of my frame; I would survey life's narrow space, And learn how frail I am. A span is all that we can boast, An inch or two of time; Man is but vanity and dust In all his flower and prime. See the vain race of mortals move Like shadows o'er the plain; They rage and strive, desire and love, But all the noise is vain. Some walk in honor's gaudy show, Some dig for golden ore; They toil for heirs, they know not who, And straight are seen no more. What should I wish or wait for, then, From creatures earth and dust? They make our expectations vain, And disappoint our trust. Now I forbid my carnal hope, My fond desires recall; I give my mortal interest up, And make my God my all.
God of my life, look gently down, Behold the pains I feel; But I am dumb before thy throne, Nor dare dispute thy will. Diseases are thy servants, Lord, They come at thy command; I'll not attempt a murm'ring word Against thy chast'ning hand. Yet I may plead with humble cries, Remove thy sharp rebukes; My strength consumes, my spirit dies, Through thy repeated strokes. Crushed as a moth beneath thy hand, We moulder to the dust; Our feeble powers can ne'er withstand, And all our beauty's lost. [This mortal life decays apace, How soon the bubble's broke! Adam and all his num'rous race Are vanity and smoke.] I'm but a sojourner below, As all my fathers were; May I be well prepared to go, When I the summons hear. But if my life be spared awhile, Before my last remove, Thy praise shall be my business still, And I'll declare thy love.
I waited patient for the Lord, He bowed to hear my cry; He saw me resting on his word, And brought salvation nigh. He raised me from a horrid pit, Where mourning long I lay, And from my bonds released my feet, Deep bonds of miry clay. Firm on a rock he made me stand, And taught my cheerful tongue To praise the wonders of his hand, In a new thankful song. I'll spread his works of grace abroad; The saints with joy shall hear, And sinners learn to make my God Their only hope and fear. How many are thy thoughts of love! Thy mercies, Lord, how great! We have not words nor hours enough, Their numbers to repeat. When I 'm afflicted, poor, and low, And light and peace depart, My God beholds my heavy woe, And bears me on his heart.
Thus saith the Lord, "Your work is vain Give your burnt-offerings o'er; In dying goats, and bullocks slain, My soul delights no more." Then spake the Savior, "Lo, I'm here, My God, to do thy will; Whate'er thy sacred books declare, Thy servant shall fulfil. "Thy law is ever in my sight, I keep it near my heart; Mine ears are opened with delight To what thy lips impart." And see, the blest Redeemer comes, Th' eternal Son appears, And at th' appointed time assumes The body God prepares. Much he revealed his Father's grace, And much his truth he showed, And preached the way of righteousness Where great assemblies stood. His Father's honor touched his heart, He pitied sinners' cries, And, to fulfil a Savior's part, Was made a sacrifice. PAUSE. No blood of beasts on altars shed Could wash the conscience clean; But the rich sacrifice he paid Atones for all our sin. Then was the great salvation spread, And Satan's kingdom shook; Thus by the woman's promised seed The serpent's head was broke.
With earnest longings of the mind, My God, to thee I look; So pants the hunted hart to find And taste the cooling brook. When shall I see thy courts of grace, And meet my God again? So long an absence from thy face My heart endures with pain. Temptations vex my weary soul, And tears are my repast; The foe insults without control, "And where's your God at last?" 'Tis with a mournful pleasure now I think on ancient days; Then to thy house did numbers go, And all our work was praise. But why, my soul, sunk down so far Beneath this heavy load? Why do my thoughts indulge despair, And sin against my God? Hope in the Lord, whose mighty hand Can all thy woes remove, For I shall yet before him stand, And sing restoring love.
Lord, we have heard thy works of old, Thy works of power and grace, When to our ears our fathers told The wonders of their days. How thou didst build thy churches here, And make thy gospel known; Amongst them did thine arm appear, Thy light and glory shone. In God they boasted all the day, And in a cheerful throng Did thousands meet to praise and pray, And grace was all their song. But now our souls are seized with shame, Confusion fills our face, To hear the enemy blaspheme, And fools reproach thy grace. Yet have we not forgot our God, Nor falsely dealt with heav'n, Nor have our steps declined the road Of duty thou hast giv'n; Though dragons all around us roar With their destructive breath, And thine own hand has bruised us sore Hard by the gates of death. PAUSE. We are exposed all day to die As martyrs for thy cause, As sheep for slaughter bound we lie By sharp and bloody laws. Awake, arise, Almighty Lord, Why sleeps thy wonted grace? Why should we look like men abhorred Or banished from thy face? Wilt thou for ever cast us off, And still neglect our cries? For ever hide thine heav'nly love From our afflicted eyes? Down to the dust our soul is bowed, And dies upon the ground; Rise for our help, rebuke the proud, And all their powers confound. Redeem us from perpetual shame, Our Savior and our God; We plead the honors of thy name, The merits of thy blood.
I'll speak the honors of my King, His form divinely fair; None of his sons of mortal race May with the Lord compare. Sweet is thy speech, and heav'nly grace Upon thy lips is shed; Thy God, with blessings infinite, Hath crowned thy sacred head. Gird on thy sword, victorious Prince, Ride with majestic sway; Thy terrors shall strike through thy foes, And make the world obey. Thy throne, O God, for ever stands; Thy word of grace shall prove A peaceful sceptre in thy hands, To rule the saints by love. Justice and truth attend thee still, But mercy is thy choice; And God, thy God, thy soul shall fill With most peculiar joys.
O for a shout of sacred joy To God the sovereign King! Let every land their tongues employ, And hymns of triumph sing. Jesus our God ascends on high, His heav'nly guards around Attend him rising through the sky, With trumpets' joyful sound. While angels shout and praise their King, Let mortals learn their strains; Let all the earth his honors sing; O'er all the earth he reigns. Rehearse his praise with awe profound, Let knowledge lead the song, Nor mock him with a solemn sound Upon a thoughtless tongue. In Isr'el stood his ancient throne, He loved that chosen race; But now he calls the world his own, And heathens taste his grace. The British islands are the Lord's, There Abraham's God is known; While powers and princes, shields and swords, Submit before his throne.
Why doth the man of riches grow To insolence and pride, To see his wealth and honors flow With every rising tide? [Why doth he treat the poor with scorn, Made of the self-same clay, And boast as though his flesh was born Of better dust than they?] Not all his treasures can procure His soul a short reprieve, Redeem from death one guilty hour, Or make his brother live. [Life is a blessing can't be sold, The ransom is too high; Justice will ne'er be bribed with gold, That man may never die.] He sees the brutish and the wise, The tim'rous and the brave, Quit their possessions, close their eyes, And hasten to the grave. Yet 'tis his inward thought and pride,- My house shall ever stand And that my name may long abide, I'll give it to my land." Vain are his thoughts, his hopes are lost, How soon his memory dies! His name is written in the dust Where his own carcass lies. PAUSE. This is the folly of their way; And yet their sons, as vain, Approve the words their fathers say, And act their works again. Men void of wisdom and of grace, If honor raise them high, Live like the beast, a thoughtless race, And like the beast they die. [Laid in the grave like silly sheep, Death feeds upon them there, Till the last trumpet break their sleep In terror and despair.]
Ye sons of pride, that hate the just And trample on the poor, When death has brought you down to dust, Your pomp shall rise no more. The last great day shall change the scene; When will that hour appear? When shall the just revive, and reign O'er all that scorned them here? God will my naked soul receive, When sep'rate from the flesh; And break the prison of the grave, To raise my bones afresh. Heav'n is my everlasting home, Th' inheritance is sure: Let men of pride their rage resume, But I'll repine no more.
The Lord, the Judge, before his throne Bids the whole earth draw nigh, The nations near the rising sun, And near the western sky. No more shall bold blasphemers say, "Judgment will ne'er begin;" No more abuse his long delay To impudence and sin. Throned on a cloud our God shall come, Bright flames prepare his way; Thunder and darkness, fire and storm, Lead on the dreadful day. Heav'n from above his call shall hear, Attending angels come, And earth and hell shall know and fear His justice and their doom. "But gather all my saints," he cries, "That made their peace with God By the Redeemer's sacrifice, And sealed it with his blood. "Their faith and works, brought forth to light Shall make the world confess, My sentence of reward is right, And heav'n adore my grace."
Thus saith the Lord, "The spacious fields, And flocks, and herds, are mine; O'er all the cattle of the hills I claim a right divine. "I ask no sheep for sacrifice, Nor bullocks burnt with fire; To hope and love, to pray and praise, Is al] that I require. "Call upon me when trouble's near, My hand shall set thee free Then shall thy thankful lips declare The honor due to me. "The man that offers humble praise, He glorifies me best; And those that tread my holy ways Shall my salvation taste."
When Christ to judgment shall descend, And saints surround their Lord, He calls the nations to attend, And hear his awful word. "Not for the want of bullocks slain Will I the world reprove; Altars, and rites, and forms are vain, Without the fire of love. "And what have hypocrites to do To bring their sacrifice? They call my statutes just and true, But deal in theft and lies. "Could you expect to 'scape my sight, And sin without control? But I shall bring your crimes to light, With anguish in your soul." Consider, ye that slight the Lord, Before his wrath appear, If once you fall beneath his sword, There's no deliv'rer there.
Lord, I would spread my sore distress And guilt before thine eyes; Against thy laws, against thy grace, How high my crimes arise! Shouldst thou condemn my soul to hell, And crush my flesh to dust, Heav'n would approve thy vengeance well, And earth must own it just. I from the stock of Adam came, Unholy and unclean; All my original is shame, And all my nature sin. Born in a world of guilt, I drew Contagion with my breath; And as my days advanced, I grew A juster prey for death. Cleanse me, O Lord, and cheer my soul With thy forgiving love; O make my broken spirit whole, And bid my pains remove. Let not thy Spirit quite depart, Nor drive me from thy face; Create anew my vicious heart, And fill it with thy grace. Then will I make thy mercy known Before the sons of men; Backsliders shall address thy throne, And turn to God again.
O God of mercy, hear my call, My loads of guilt remove; Break down this separating wall, That bars me from my love. Give me the presence of thy grace, Then my rejoicing tongue Shall speak aloud thy righteousness, And make thy praise my song. No blood of goats nor heifers slain, For sin could e'er atone; The death of Christ shall still remain Sufficient and alone. A soul oppressed with sin's desert, My God will ne'er despise; A humble groan, a broken heart, Is our best sacrifice.
Are all the foes of Zion fools, Who thus devour her saints? Do they not know her Savior rules, And pities her complaints? They shall be seized with sad surprise; For God's revenging arm Scatters the bones of them that rise To do his children harm. In vain the sons of Satan boast Of armies in array; When God has first despised their host They fall an easy prey. O for a word from Zion's King, Her captives to restore! Jacob with all his tribes shall sing, And Judah weep no more.
O God, my refuge, hear my cries, "Behold my flowing tears; For earth and hell my hurt devise, And triumph in my fears. Their rage is leveled at my life, My soul with guilt they load, And fill my thoughts with inward strife, To shake my hope in God. With inward pain my heart-strings sound, I groan with ev'ry breath; Horror and fear beset me round Amongst the shades of death. O were I like a feathered dove, And innocence had wings, I'd fly, and make a long remove From all these restless things. Let me to some wild desert go, And find a peaceful home; Where storms of malice never blow, Temptations never come. Vain hopes, and vain inventions all To 'scape the rage of hell! The mighty God on whom I call, Can save me here as well. PAUSE. By morning light I'll seek his face, At noon repeat my cry; The night shall hear me ask his grace, Nor will he long deny. God shall preserve my soul from fear, Or shield me when afraid; Ten thousand angels must appear, If he command their aid. I cast my burdens on the Lord, The Lord sustains them all; My courage rests upon his word, That saints shall never fall. My highest hopes shall not be vain, My lips shall spread his praise; While cruel and deceitful men Scarce live out half their days.
O Thou whose justice reigns on high, And makes th' oppressor cease, Behold how envious sinners try To vex and break my peace. The sons of violence and lies Join to devour me, Lord; But as my hourly dangers rise, My refuge is thy word. In God most holy, just, and true, I have reposed my trust; Nor will I fear what flesh can do, The offspring of the dust. They wrest my words to mischief still, Charge me with unknown faults; Mischief doth all their counsels fill, And malice all their thoughts. Shall they escape without thy frown? Must their devices stand? O cast the haughty sinner down, And let him know thy hand. PAUSE. God counts the sorrows of his saints, Their groans affect his ears; Thou hast a book for my complaints, A bottle for my tears. When to thy throne I raise my cry, The wicked fear and flee; So swift is prayer to reach the sky, So near is God to me. In thee, most holy, just, and true, I have reposed my trust; Nor will I fear what man can do, The offspring of the dust. Thy solemn vows are on me, Lord, Thou shalt receive my praise; I'll sing, "How faithful is thy word, How righteous all thy ways!" Thou hast secured my soul from death, O set thy pris'ner free! That heart and hand, and life and breath, May be employ'd for thee.
Lord, hast thou cast the nation off? Must we for ever mourn? Wilt thou indulge immortal wrath? Shall mercy ne'er return? The terror of one frown of thine Melts all our strength away; Like men that totter drunk with wine, We tremble in dismay. Great Britain shakes beneath thy stroke And dreads thy threat'ning hand; O heal the island thou hast broke, Confirm the wav'ring land. Lift up a banner in the field For those that fear thy name; Save thy beloved with thy shield, And put our foes to shame. Go with our armies to the fight, Like a confed'rate God; In vain confed'rate powers unite Against thy lifted rod. Our troops shall gain a wide renown By thine assisting hand 'Tis God that treads the mighty down, And makes the feeble stand.
Early, my God, without delay, I haste to seek thy face; My thirsty spirit faints away Without thy cheering grace. So pilgrims on the scorching sand, Beneath a burning sky, Long for a cooling stream at hand, And they must drink or die. I've seen thy glory and thy power Through all thy temple shine; My God, repeat that heav'nly hour, That vision so divine. Not all the blessings of a feast Can please my soul so well, As when thy richer grace I taste, And in thy presence dwell. Not life itself, with all her joys, Can my best passions move, Or raise so high my cheerful voice, As thy forgiving love. Thus till my last expiring day I'll bless my God and King; Thus will I lift my hands to pray, And tune my lips to sing.
'Twas in the watches of the night I thought upon thy power, I kept thy lovely face in sight Amidst the darkest hour. My flesh lay resting on my bed, My soul arose on high: "My God, my life, my hope," I said, "Bring thy salvation nigh." My spirit labors up thine hill, And climbs the heav'nly road; But thy right hand upholds me still, While I pursue my God. Thy mercy stretches o'er my head The shadow of thy wings; My heart rejoices in thine aid, My tongue awakes and sings. But the destroyers of my peace Shall fret and rage in vain; The tempter shall for ever cease, And all my sins be slain. Thy sword shall give my foes to death, And send them down to dwell In the dark caverns of the earth, Or to the deeps of hell.
Praise waits in Zion, Lord, for thee; There shall our vows be paid: Thou hast an ear when sinners pray; All flesh shall seek thine aid. Lord, our iniquities prevail, But pard'ning grace is thine; And thou wilt grant us power and skill To conquer every sin. Blest are the men whom thou wilt choose To bring them near thy face, Give them a dwelling in thine house, To feast upon thy grace. In answ'ring what thy church requests Thy truth and terror shine, And works of dreadful righteousness Fulfil thy kind design. Thus shall the wond'ring nations see The Lord is good and just; And distant islands fly to thee, And make thy name their trust. They dread thy glitt'ring tokens, Lord, When signs in heav'n appear; But they shall learn thy holy word, And love as well as fear.
'Tis by thy strength the mountains stand, God of eternal power; The sea grows calm at thy command, And tempests cease to roar. Thy morning light and ev'ning shade Successive comforts bring; Thy plenteous fruits make harvest glad, Thy flowers adorn the spring. Seasons and times, and moons and hours, Heav'n, earth, and air, are thine; When clouds distil in fruitful showers, The Author is divine. Those wand'ring cisterns in the sky, Borne by the winds around With wat'ry treasures well supply The furrows of the ground. The thirsty ridges drink their fill, And ranks of corn appear; Thy ways abound with blessings still, Thy goodness crowns the year.
A Psalm for the husbandman. Good is the Lord, the heav'nly King, Who makes the earth his care; Visits the pastures ev'ry spring, And bids the grass appear. The clouds, like rivers raised on high, Pour out at thy command Their wat'ry blessings from the sky, To cheer the thirsty land. The softened ridges of the field Permit the corn to spring; The valleys rich provision yield, And the poor lab'rers sing. The little hills, on every side, Rejoice at falling showers; The meadows, dressed in all their pride, Perfume the air with flowers. The barren clods, refreshed with rain, Promise a joyful crop; The parching grounds look green again, And raise the reaper's hope. The various months thy goodness crowns; How bounteous are thy ways! The bleating flocks spread o'er the downs, And shepherds shout thy praise.
Sing, all ye nations, to the Lord, Sing with a joyful noise; With melody of sound record His honors and your joys. Say to the Power that shakes the sky, "How terrible art thou! Sinners before thy presence fly, Or at thy feet they bow." [Come, see the wonders of our God, How glorious are his ways! In Moses' hand he puts his rod, And cleaves the frighted seas. He made the ebbing channel dry, While Isr'el passed the flood There did the church begin their joy, And triumph in their God.] He rules by his resistless might: Will rebel mortals dare Provoke th' Eternal to the fight, And tempt that dreadful war? O bless our God, and never cease; Ye saints, fulfil his praise; He keeps our life, maintains our peace, And guides our doubtful ways. Lord, thou hast proved our suff'ring souls, To make our graces shine; So silver bears the burning coals, The metal to refine. Through wat'ry deeps, and fiery ways, We march at thy command; Led to possess the promised place By thine unerring hand.
Now shall my solemn vows be paid To that Almighty Power, That heard the long requests I made In my distressful hour. My lips and cheerful heart prepare To make his mercies known; Come, ye that fear my God, and hear The wonders he has done. When on my head huge sorrows fell, I sought his heav'nly aid; He saved my sinking soul from hell, And death's eternal shade. If sin lay covered in my heart, While prayer employed my tongue, The Lord had shown me no regard, Nor I his praises sung. But God (his name be ever blest) Has set my spirit free; Nor turned from him my poor request, Nor turned his heart from me.
Shine, mighty God, on Britain shine, With beams of heav'nly grace; Reveal thy power through all our coasts, And show thy smiling face. [Amidst our isle, exalted high, Do thou our glory stand, And, like a wall of guardian fire, Surround the fav'rite land.] When shall thy name, from shore to shore, Sound all the earth abroad; And distant nations know and love Their Savior and their God? Sing to the Lord, ye distant lands, Sing loud with solemn voice; While British tongues exalt his praise, And British hearts rejoice. He, the great Lord, the sovereign Judge, That sits enthroned above, Wisely commands the worlds he made In justice and in love. Earth shall obey her Maker's will, And yield a full increase; Our God will crown his chosen isle With fruitfulness and peace. God the Redeemer scatters round His choicest favors here, While the creation's utmost bound Shall see, adore, and fear.
"Save me, O God, the swelling floods Break in upon my soul; I sink, and sorrows o'er my head Like mighty waters roll. "I cry till all my voice be gone, In tears I waste the day: My God, behold my longing eyes, And shorten thy delay. "They hate my soul without a cause, And still their number grows More than the hairs around my head, And mighty are my foes. "'Twas then I paid that dreadful debt That men could never pay, And gave those honors to thy law Which sinners took away." Thus in the great Messiah's name, The royal prophet mourns; Thus he awakes our hearts to grief, And gives us joy by turns. "Now shall the saints rejoice, and find Salvation in my name; For I have borne their heavy load Of sorrow, pain, and shame. "Grief, like a garment, clothed me round, And sackcloth was my dress, While I procured for naked souls A robe of righteousness. "Amongst my brethren and the Jews I like a stranger stood, And bore their vile reproach, to bring The Gentiles near to God. "I came in sinful mortals' stead, To do my Father's will; Yet when I cleansed my Father's house, They scandalized my zeal. "My fasting and my holy groans Were made the drunkard's song; But God, from his celestial throne, Heard my complaining tongue. "He saved me from the dreadful deep, Nor let my soul be drowned; He raised and fixed my sinking feet On well-established ground. "'Twas in a most accepted hour My prayer arose on high; And for my sake my God shall hear The dying sinner's cry.
Now let our lips with holy fear And mournful pleasure sing The suff'rings of our great High Priest, The sorrows of our King. He sinks in floods of deep distress; How high the waters rise! While to his heav'nly Father's ear He sends perpetual cries. "Hear me, O Lord, and save thy Son, Nor hide thy shining face; Why should thy fav'rite look like one Forsaken of thy grace? "With rage they persecute the man That groans beneath thy wound, While for a sacrifice I pour My life upon the ground. "They tread my honor to the dust, And laugh when I complain; Their sharp insulting slanders add Fresh anguish to my pain. "All my reproach is known to thee, The scandal and the shame Reproach has broke my bleeding heart, And lies defiled my name. "I looked for pity, but in vain; My kindred are my grief: I ask my friends for comfort round, But meet with no relief. "With vinegar they mock my thirst, They give me gall for food; And sporting with my dying groans, They triumph in my blood. "Shine into my distressed soul, Let thy compassions save; And though my flesh sink down to death, Redeem it from the grave. "I shall arise to praise thy name, Shall reign in worlds unknown; And thy salvation, O my God, Shall seat me on thy throne."
Father, I sing thy wondrous grace, I bless my Savior's name; He bought salvation for the poor, And bore the sinner's shame. His deep distress has raised us high; His duty and his zeal Fulfilled the law which mortals broke, And finished all thy will. His dying groans, his living songs, Shall better please my God Than harp or trumpet's solemn sound, Than goat's or bullock's blood. This shall his humble followers see, And set their hearts at rest They by his death draw near to thee, And live for ever blest. Let heav'n and all that dwell on high To God their voices raise, While lands and seas assist the sky, And join t' advance the praise. Zion is thine, most holy God, Thy Son shall bless her gates; And glory purchased by his blood For thy own Isr'el waits.
My God, my everlasting hope, I live upon thy truth; Thine hands have held my childhood up, And strengthened all my youth. My flesh was fashioned by thy power, With all these limbs of mine; And from my mother's painful hour, I've been entirely thine. Still has my life new wonders seen Repeated every year; Behold, my days that yet remain, I trust them to thy care. Cast me not off when strength declines, When hoary hairs arise; And round me let thy glory shine, Whene'er thy servant dies. Then in the hist'ry of my age, When men review my days, They'll read thy love in every page, In every line thy praise.
My Savior, my almighty Friend, When I begin thy praise, Where will the growing numbers end, The numbers of thy grace? Thou art my everlasting trust, Thy goodness I adore; And since I knew thy graces first, I speak thy glories more. My feet shall travel all the length Of the celestial road, And march with courage in thy strength, To see my Father God. When I am filled with sore distress For some surprising sin, I'll plead thy perfect righteousness, And mention none but thine. How will my lips rejoice to tell The vict'ries of my King! My soul, redeemed from sin and hell, Shall thy salvation sing. My tongue shall all the day proclaim My Savior and my God; His death has brought my foes to shame, And drowned them in his blood. Awake, awake, my tuneful powers; With this delightful song I'll entertain the darkest hours, Nor think the season long.
God of my childhood and my youth, The guide of all my days, I have declared thy heav'nly truth, And told thy wondrous ways. Wilt thou forsake my hoary hairs, And leave my fainting heart? Who shall sustain my sinking years, If God my strength depart? Let me thy power and truth proclaim To the surviving age; And leave a savor of thy name When I shall quit the stage. The land of silence and of death Attends my next remove; O may these poor remains of breath Teach the wide world thy love! PAUSE. Thy righteousness is deep and high, Unsearchable thy deeds; Thy glory spreads beyond the sky, And all my praise exceeds. Oft have I heard thy threat'nings roar, And oft endured the grief; But when thy hand has pressed me sore, Thy grace was my relief. By long experience have I known Thy sovereign power to save; At thy command I venture down Securely to the grave. When I lie buried deep in dust, My flesh shall be thy care; These withering limbs with thee I trust, To raise them strong and fair.
Now I'm convinced the Lord is kind To men of heart sincere; Yet once my foolish thoughts repined, And bordered on despair. I grieved to see the wicked thrive, And spoke with angry breath, "How pleasant and profane they live! How peaceful is their death! "With well-fed flesh and haughty eyes, They lay their fears to sleep; Against the heav'ns their slanders rise, While saints in silence weep. "In vain I lift my hands to pray, And cleanse my heart in vain; For I am chastened all the day, The night renews my pain." Yet while my tongue indulged complaints, I felt my heart reprove,- "Sure I shall thus offend thy saints, And grieve the men I love." But still I found my doubts too hard, The conflict too severe, Till I retired to search thy word, And learn thy secrets there. There, as in some prophetic glass, I saw the sinner's feet High mounted on a slipp'ry place, Beside a fiery pit. I heard the wretch profanely boast, Till at thy frown he fell; His honors in a dream were lost, And he awakes in hell. Lord, what an envious fool I was! How like a thoughtless beast! Thus to suspect thy promised grace, And think the wicked blest. Yet I was kept from full despair, Upheld by power unknown; That blessed hand that broke the snare Shall guide me to thy throne.
God, my supporter and my hope, My help for ever near, Thine arm of mercy held me up, When sinking in despair. Thy counsels, Lord, shall guide my feet Through this dark wilderness; Thine hand conduct me near thy seat, To dwell before thy face. Were I in heav'n without my God, 'Twould be no joy to me; And whilst this earth is my abode, I long for none but thee. What if the springs of life were broke, And flesh and heart should faint? God is my soul's eternal rock, The strength of every saint. Behold, the sinners that remove Far from thy presence die; Not all the idol gods they love Can save them when they cry. But to draw near to thee, my God, Shall be my sweet employ; My tongue shall sound thy works abroad, And tell the world my joy.
Will God for ever cast us off? His wrath for ever smoke Against the people of his love, His little chosen flock? Think of the tribes so dearly bought With their Redeemer's blood; Nor let thy Zion be forgot, Where once thy glory stood. Lift up thy feet and march in haste, Aloud our ruin calls; See what a wide and fearful waste Is made within thy walls. Where once thy churches prayed and sang, Thy foes profanely roar; Over thy gates their ensigns hang, Sad tokens of their power. How are the seats of worship broke! They tear the buildings down, And he that deals the heaviest stroke Procures the chief renown. With flames they threaten to destroy Thy children in their nest; "Come, let us burn at once," they cry, "The temple and the priest." And still, to heighten our distress, Thy presence is withdrawn; Thy wonted signs of power and grace, Thy power and grace are gone. 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. How long, eternal God, how long Shall men of pride blaspheme? Shall saints be made their endless song, And bear immortal shame? Canst thou for ever sit and hear Thine holy name profaned? And still thy jealousy forbear, And still withhold thine hand? What strange deliv'rance hast thou shown In ages long before! And now no other God we own, No other God adore. Thou didst divide the raging sea By thy resistless might, To make thy tribes a wondrous way, And then secure their flight. 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? Hath not thy power formed every coast, And set the earth its bounds, With summer's heat, and winter's frost, In their perpetual rounds? And shall the sons of earth and dust That sacred power blaspheme? Will not thy hand that formed them first Avenge thine injured name? Think oh the cov'nant thou hast made, And all thy words of love; Nor let the birds of prey invade, And vex thy mourning dove. Our foes would triumph in our blood, And make our hope their jest; Plead thy own cause, Almighty God, And give thy children rest.
In Judah God of old was known; His name in Isr'el great; In Salem stood his holy throne, And Zion was his seat. Among the praises of his saints His dwelling there he chose; There he received their just complaints Against their haughty foes. From Zion went his dreadful word, And broke the threat'ning spear, The bow, the arrows, and the sword, And crushed th' Assyrian war. What are the earth's wide kingdoms else But mighty hills of prey? The hill on which Jehovah dwells Is glorious more than they. 'Twas Zion's King that stopped the breath Of captains and their bands; The men of might slept fast in death, And never found their hands. At thy rebuke, O Jacob's God, Both horse and chariot fell: Who knows the terrors of thy rod? Thy vengeance who can tell? What power can stand before thy sight, When once thy wrath appears? When heav'n shines round with dreadful light, The earth lies still and fears. When God in his own sovereign ways Comes down to save th' oppressed, The wrath of man shall work his praise, And he'll restrain the rest. [Vow to the Lord, and tribute bring, Ye princes, fear his frown; His terror shakes the proudest king, And cuts an army down. The thunder of his sharp rebuke Our haughty foes shall feel; For Jacob's God hath not forsook But dwells in Zion still.]
To God I cried with mournful voice, I sought his gracious ear, In the sad day when troubles rose, And filled the night with fear. Sad were my days, and dark my nights, My soul refused relief; I thought on God the just and wise, But thoughts increased my grief. Still I complained, and still oppressed, My heart began to break; My God, thy wrath forbade my rest, And kept my eyes awake. My overwhelming sorrows grew, Till I could speak no more; Then I within myself withdrew, And called thy judgments o'er. I called back years and ancient times When I beheld thy face; My spirit searched for secret crimes That might withhold thy grace. I called thy mercies to my mind Which I enjoyed before; And will the Lord no more be kind? His face appear no more? Will he for ever cast me off? His promise ever fail? Has he forgot his tender love? Shall anger still prevail? But I forbid this hopeless thought; This dark, despairing frame, Rememb'ring what thy hand hath wrought; Thy hand is still the same. I'll think again of all thy ways, And talk thy wonders o'er; Thy wonders of recovering grace, When flesh could hope no more. Grace dwells with justice on the throne; And men that love thy word Have in thy sanctuary known The counsels of the Lord.
"How awful is thy chast'ning rod!" May thy own children say: "The great, the wise, the dreadful God! How holy is his way !" I'll meditate his works of old, The King that reigns above; I'll hear his ancient wonders told, And learn to trust his love. Long did the house of Joseph lie With Egypt's yoke oppressed; Long he delayed to hear their cry, or gave his people rest. The sons of good old Jacob seemed Abandoned to their foes; But his almighty arm redeemed The nation that he chose. Isr'el, his people and his sheep, Must follow where he calls; He bade them venture through the deep, And made the waves their walls. The waters saw thee, mighty God! The waters saw thee come; Backward they fled, and frighted stood, To make thine armies room. Strange was thy journey through the sea Thy footsteps, Lord, unknown; Terrors attend the wondrous way That brings thy mercies down. [Thy voice, with terror in the sound, Through clouds and darkness broke; All heav'n in lightning shone around, And earth with thunder shook. Thine arrows through the skies were hurled; How glorious is the Lord! Surprise and trembling seized the world, And his own saints adored. He gave them water from the rock, And safe, by Moses' hand, Through a dry desert led his flock Home to the promised land.]
Let children hear the mighty deeds Which God performed of old, Which in our younger years we saw, And which our fathers told. He bids us make his glories known, His works of power and grace; And we'll convey his wonders down Through every rising race. Our lips shall tell them to our sons, And they again to theirs; That generations yet unborn May teach them to their heirs. Thus shall they learn in God alone Their hope securely stands; That they may ne'er forget his works, But practise his commands.
O What a stiff rebellious house Was Jacob's ancient race! False to their own most solemn vows, And to their Maker's grace. They broke the cov'nant of his love, And did his laws despise; Forgot the works he wrought to prove His power before their eyes. They saw the plagues on Egypt light From his revenging hand; What dreadful tokens of his might Spread o'er the stubborn land! They saw him cleave the mighty sea, And marched in safety through, With wat'ry walls to guard their way, Till they had 'scaped the foe. A wondrous pillar marked the road, Composed of shade and light; By day it proved a shelt'ring cloud, A leading fire by night. He from the rock their thirst supplied The gushing waters fell, And ran in rivers by their side, A constant miracle. Yet they provoked the Lord most High, And dared distrust his hand: "Can he with bread our host supply Amidst this desert land?" The Lord with indignation heard, And caused his wrath to flame; His terrors ever stand prepared To vindicate his name.
When Isr'el sins, the Lord reproves And fills their hearts with dread; Yet he forgives the men he loves, And sends them heav'nly bread. He fed them with a lib'ral hand, And made his treasures known; He gave the midnight clouds command To pour provision down. The manna, like a morning shower, Lay thick around their feet The corn of heav'n, so light, so pure, As though 'twere angels' meat. But they in murm'ring language said, "Manna is all our feast; We loathe this light, this airy bread; We must have flesh to taste." "Ye shall have flesh to please your lust," The Lord in wrath replied, And sent them quails like sand or dust, Heaped up from side to side. He gave them all their own desire, And greedy as they fed, His vengeance burnt with secret fire, And smote the rebels dead. When some were slain, the rest returned And sought the Lord with tears; Under the rod they feared and mourned, But soon forgot their fears. Oft he chastised and still forgave, Till, by his gracious hand, The nation he resolved to save Possessed the promised land.
My soul, how lovely is the place To which thy God resorts! 'Tis heav'n to see his smiling face, Though in his earthly courts. There the great Monarch of the skies His saving power displays, And light breaks in upon our eyes With kind and quick'ning rays. With his rich gifts the heav'nly Dove Descends and fills the place, While Christ reveals his wondrous love, And sheds abroad his grace. There, mighty God, thy words declare The secrets of thy will; And still we seek thy mercy there, And sing thy praises still. PAUSE. My heart and flesh cry out for thee, While far from thine abode; When shall I tread thy courts, and see My Savior and my God? The sparrow builds herself a nest, And suffers no remove; O make me, like the sparrows, blest, To dwell but where I love. To sit one day beneath thine eye, And hear thy gracious voice, Exceeds a whole eternity Employed in carnal joys. Lord, at thy threshold I would wait While Jesus is within, Rather than fill a throne of state, Or live in tents of sin. Could I command the spacious land, And the more boundless sea, For one blest hour at thy right hand I'd give them both away.
Among the princes, earthly gods, There's none hath power divine; Nor is their nature, mighty Lord, Nor are their works, like thine. The nations thou hast made shall bring Their off'rings round thy throne; For thou alone dost wondrous things, For thou art God alone. Lord, I would walk with holy feet; Teach me thine heav'nly ways, And my poor scattered thoughts unite In God my Father's praise. Great is thy mercy, and my tongue Shall those sweet wonders tell, How by thy grace my sinking soul Rose from the deeps of hell.
My never-ceasing songs shall show The mercies of the Lord; And make succeeding ages know How faithful is his word. The sacred truths his lips pronounce Shall firm as heav'n endure; And if he speak a promise once, Th' eternal grace is sure. How long the race of David held The promised Jewish throne! But there's a nobler cov'nant sealed To David's greater Son. His seed for ever shall possess A throne above the skies; The meanest subject of his grace Shall to that glory rise. Lord God of hosts, thy wondrous ways Are sung by saints above; And saints on earth their honors raise To thy unchanging love.
With rev'rence let the saints appear, And bow before the Lord; His high commands with rev'rence hear, And tremble at his word. How terrible thy glories be! How bright thine armies shine! Where is the power that vies with thee, Or truth compared to thine? The northern pole and southern rest On thy supporting hand; Darkness and day, from east to west, Move round at thy command. Thy words the raging winds control, And rule the boist'rous deep; Thou mak'st the sleeping billows roll, The rolling billows sleep. Heav'n, earth, and air, and sea, are thine, And the dark world of hell; How did thine arm in vengeance shine When Egypt durst rebel! Justice and judgment are thy throne, Yet wondrous is thy grace; While truth and mercy, joined in one, Invite us near thy face.
Blest are the souls that hear and know The gospel's joyful sound; Peace shall attend the path they go, And light their steps surround. Their joy shall bear their spirits up Through their Redeemer's name; His righteousness exalts their hope, Nor Satan dares condemn. The Lord, our glory and defence, Strength and salvation gives; Isr'el, thy King for ever reigns, Thy God for ever lives.
Hear what the Lord in vision said, And made his mercy known: "Sinners, behold your help is laid On my Almighty Son. "Behold the Man my wisdom chose Among your mortal race: His head my holy oil o'erflows, The Spirit of my grace. "High shall he reign on David's throne, My people's better King; My arm shall beat his rivals down, And still new subjects bring. "My truth shall guard him in his way, With mercy by his side, While in my name through earth and sea He shall in triumph ride. "Me for his Father and his God He shall for ever own, Call me his rock, his high abode, And I'll support my Son. "My first-born Son arrayed in grace At my right hand shall sit; Beneath him angels know their place, And monarchs at his feet. "My cov'nant stands for ever fast, My promises are strong; Firm as the heav'ns his throne shall last, His seed endure as long."
"Yet," saith the Lord, "if David's race, The children of my Son, Should break my laws, abuse my grace, And tempt mine anger down; "Their sins I'll visit with the rod And make their folly smart; But I'll not cease to be their God, Nor from my truth depart. "My cov'nant I will ne'er revoke, But keep my grace in mind And what eternal love hath spoke Eternal truth shall bind. "Once have I sworn (I need no more) And pledged my holiness, To seal the sacred promise sure To David and his race. "The sun shall see his offspring rise And spread from sea to sea, Long as he travels round the skies To give the nations day. "Sure as the moon that rules the night His kingdom shall endure, Till the fixed laws of shade and light Shall be observed no more.
Our God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come, Our shelter from the stormy blast, And our eternal home. Under the shadow of thy throne Thy saints have dwelt secure; Sufficient is thine arm alone, And our defence is sure. Before the hills in order stood, Or earth received her frame, From everlasting thou art God, To endless years the same. Thy word commands our flesh to dust, "Return, ye sons of men:" All nations rose from earth at first, And turn to earth again. A thousand ages in thy sight Are like an evening gone; Short as the watch that ends the night Before the rising sun. [The busy tribes of flesh and blood, With all their lives and cares, Are carried downwards by the flood, And lost in following years. Time, like an ever-rolling stream, Bears all its sons away; They fly, forgotten, as a dream Dies at the op'ning day. Like flowery fields the nations stand Pleased with the morning light; The flowers beneath the mower's hand Lie with'ring ere 'tis night.] Our God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come, Be thou our guard while troubles last, And our eternal home.
Lord, if thine eye surveys our faults, And justice grows severe, Thy dreadful wrath exceeds our thoughts, And burns beyond our fear. Thine anger turns our frame to dust; By one offence to thee Adam with all his sons have lost Their immortality. Life, like a vain amusement, flies, A fable or a song; By swift degrees our nature dies, Nor can our joys be long. 'Tis but a few whose days amount To threescore years and ten; And all beyond that short account Is sorrow, toil, and pain. [Our vitals with laborious strife Bear up the crazy load, And drag those poor remains of life Along the tiresome road.] Almighty God, reveal thy love, And not thy wrath alone; O let our sweet experience prove The mercies of thy throne! Our souls would learn the heav'nly art T' improve the hours we have, That we may act the wiser part, And live beyond the grave.
Return, O God of love, return; Earth is a tiresome place: How long shall we, thy children, mourn Our absence from thy face? Let heav'n succeed our painful years, Let sin and sorrow cease, And in proportion to our tears So make our joys increase. Thy wonders to thy servants show, Make thy own work complete; Then shall our souls thy glory know, And own thy love was great. Then shall we shine before thy throne In all thy beauty, Lord; And the poor service we have done Meet a Divine reward.
Ye sons of men, a feeble race, Exposed to every snare, Come, make the Lord your dwelling-place, And try and trust his care. No ill shall enter where you dwell; Or if the plague come nigh, And sweep the wicked down to hell, 'Twill raise his saints on high. He'll give his angels charge to keep Your feet in all their ways; To watch your pillow while you sleep, And guard your happy days. Their hands shall bear you, lest you fall And dash against the stones: Are they not servants at his call, And sent t' attend his sons? Adders and lions ye shall tread; The tempter's wiles defeat; He that hath broke the serpent's head Puts him beneath your feet. "Because on me they set their love, I'll save them," saith the Lord; "I'll bear their joyful souls above Destruction and the sword. "My grace shall answer when they call, In trouble I'll be nigh; My power shall help them when they fall, And raise them when they die. "Those that on earth my name have known I'll honor them in heav'n; There my salvation shall be shown, And endless life be giv'n."
O God, to whom revenge belongs, "Proclaim thy wrath aloud; Let sovereign power redress our wrongs, Let justice smite the proud. They say, "The Lord nor sees nor hears:" When will the fools be wise? Can he be deaf who formed their ears? Or blind, who made their eyes? He knows their impious thoughts are vain, And they shall feel his power; His wrath shall pierce their souls with pain In some surprising hour. But if thy saints deserve rebuke, Thou hast a gentler rod; Thy providences and thy book Shall make them know their God. Blest is the man thy hands chastise, And to his duty draw; Thy scourges make thy children wise When they forget thy law. But God will ne'er cast off his saints, Nor his own promise break He pardons his inheritance For their Redeemer's sake.
Who will arise and plead my right Against my num'rous foes, While earth and hell their force unite, And all my hopes oppose? Had not the Lord, my rock, my help, Sustained my fainting head, My life had now in silence dwelt, My soul amongst the dead. "Alas! my sliding feet!" I cried; Thy promise was my prop; Thy grace stood constant by my side, Thy Spirit bore me up. While multitudes of mournful thoughts Within my bosom roll, Thy boundless love forgives my faults, Thy comforts cheer my soul. Powers of iniquity may rise, And frame pernicious laws; But God my refuge rules the skies, He will defend my cause. Let malice vent her rage aloud, Let bold blasphemers scoff; The Lord our God shall judge the proud And cut the sinners off.
Sing to the Lord Jehovah's name, And in his strength rejoice; When his salvation is our theme, Exalted be our voice. With thanks approach his awful sight, And psalms of honor sing; The Lord's a God of boundless might, The whole creation's King. Let princes hear, let angels know, How mean their natures seem, Those gods on high and gods below, When once compared with him. Earth, with its caverns dark and deep, Lies in his spacious hand; He fixed the seas what bounds to keep, And where the hills must stand. Come, and with humble souls adore, Come, kneel before his face O may the creatures of his power Be children of his grace! Now is the time; he bends his ear, And waits for your request; Come, lest he rouse his wrath and swear, "Ye shall not see my rest."
Sing to the Lord, ye distant lands, Ye tribes of every tongue; His new-discovered grace demands A new and nobler song. Say to the nations, Jesus reigns, God's own almighty Son; His power the sinking world sustains, And grace surrounds his throne. Let heav'n proclaim the joyful day, Joy through the earth be seen; Let cities shine in bright array, And fields in cheerful green. Let an unusual joy surprise The islands of the sea: Ye mountains, sink; ye valleys, rise; Prepare the Lord his way. Behold, he comes, he comes to bless The nations as their God; To show the world his righteousness, And send his truth abroad. But when his voice shall raise the dead, And bid the world draw near, How will the guilty nations dread To see their Judge appear!
Ye islands of the northern sea, Rejoice, the Savior reigns; His word, like fire, prepares his way, And mountains melt to plains. His presence sinks the proudest hills, And makes the valleys rise; The humble soul enjoys his smiles, The haughty sinner dies. The heav'ns his rightful power proclaim, The idol-gods around Fill their own worshippers with shame, And totter to the ground. Adoring angels at his birth Make the Redeemer known: Thus shall he come to judge the earth, And angels guard his throne. His foes shall tremble at his sight, And hills and seas retire; His children take their unknown flight, And leave the world in fire. The seeds of joy and glory sown For saints in darkness here, Shall rise and spring in worlds unknown, And a rich harvest bear.
To our Almighty Maker, God, New honors be addressed; His great salvation shines abroad, And makes the nations blest. He spake the word to Abraham first; His truth fulfils the grace; The Gentiles make his name their trust, And learn his righteousness. Let the whole earth his love proclaim With all her diff'rent tongues, And spread the honors of his name In melody and songs.
Joy to the world! the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare him room, And heav'n and nature sing. Joy to the earth! the Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ, While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains, Repeat the sounding joy. No more let sins and sorrows grow, Nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make his blessings flow Far as the curse is found. He rules the world with truth and grace, And makes the nations prove The glories of his righteousness, And wonders of his love.
Of justice and of grace I sing, And pay my God my vows; Thy grace and justice, heav'nly King, Teach me to rule my house. Now to my tent, O God, repair, And make thy servant wise; I'll suffer nothing near me there That shall offend thine eyes. The man that doth his neighbor wrong By falsehood or by force, The scornful eye, the sland'rous tongue I'll thrust them from my doors. I'll seek the faithful and the just, And will their help enjoy; These are the friends that I shall trust, The servants I'll employ. The wretch that deals in sly deceit I'll not endure a night: The liar's tongue I ever hate, And banish from my sight. I'll purge my family around, And make the wicked flee; So shall my house be ever found A dwelling fit for thee.
Hear me, O God, nor hide thy face; But answer, lest I die; Hast thou not built a throne of grace To hear when sinners cry? My days are wasted like the smoke Dissolving in the air; My strength is dried, my heart is broke, And sinking in despair. My spirits flag like with'ring grass Burnt with excessive heat; In secret groans my minutes pass, And I forget to eat. As on some lonely building's top The sparrow tells her moan, Far from the tents of joy and hope I sit and grieve alone. My soul is like a wilderness, Where beasts of midnight howl; There the sad raven finds her place, And there the screaming owl. Dark, dismal thoughts, and boding fears, Dwell in my troubled breast; While sharp reproaches wound my ears, Nor give my spirit rest. My cup is mingled with my woes, And tears are my repast; My daily bread, like ashes, grows Unpleasant to my taste. Sense can afford no real joy To souls that feel thy frown; Lord, 'twas thy hand advanced me high, Thy hand hath cast me down. My looks like withered leaves appear; And life's declining light Grows faint as evening shadows are That vanish into night. But thou for ever art the same, O my eternal God; Ages to come shall know thy name, And spread thy works abroad. Thou wilt arise and show thy face, Nor will my Lord delay Beyond th' appointed hour of grace, That long-expected day. He hears his saints, he knows their cry, And by mysterious ways Redeems the pris'ners doomed to die, And fills their tongues with praise.
Let Zion and her sons rejoice, Behold the promised hour; Her God hath heard her mourning voice, And comes t' exalt his power. Her dust and ruins that remain Are precious in our eyes; Those ruins shall be built again, And all that dust shall rise. The Lord will raise Jerusalem And stand in glory there; Nations shall bow before his name, And kings attend with fear. He sits a sovereign on his throne, With pity in his eyes; He hears the dying pris'ners' groan, And sees their sighs arise. He frees the souls condemned to death, And when his saints complain, It shan't be said, "That praying breath Was ever spent in vain." This shall be known when we are dead, And left on long record; That ages yet unborn may read, And trust, and praise the Lord.
Give thanks to God, invoke his name, And tell the world his grace; Sound through the earth his deeds of fame, That all may seek his face. His cov'nant, which he kept in mind For num'rous ages past, To num'rous ages yet behind In equal force shall last. He sware to Abraham and his seed, And made the blessing sure; Gentiles the ancient promise read, And find his truth endure. "Thy seed shall make all nations blest," (Said the Almighty voice,) "And Canaan's land shall be their rest, The type of heav'nly joys." [How large the grant! how rich the grace, To give them Canaan's land, When they were strangers in the place, A little feeble band! Like pilgrims through the countries round Securely they removed; And haughty kings that on them frowned Severely he reproved. "Touch mine anointed, and my arm Shall soon revenge the wrong: The man that does my prophets harm, Shall know their God is strong." Then let the world forbear its rage, Nor put the church in fear; Isr'el must live through every age, And be th' Almighty's care.] PAUSE I. When Pharaoh dared to vex the saints, And thus provoked their God, Moses was sent at their complaints, Armed with his dreadful rod. He called for darkness; darkness came Like an o'erwhelming flood; He turned each lake and every stream To lakes and streams of blood. He gave the sign, and noisome flies Through the whole country spread; And frogs in croaking armies rise About the monarch's bed. Through fields, and towns, and palaces, The tenfold vengeance flew; Locusts in swarms devoured their trees, And hail their cattle slew. Then by an angel's midnight stroke The flower of Egypt died; The strength of every house was broke, Their glory and their pride. Now let the world forbear its rage, Nor put the church in fear; Isr'el must live through every age, And be th' Almighty's care. PAUSE II. Thus were the tribes from bondage brought, And left the hated ground; Each some Egyptian spoils had got, And not one feeble found. The Lord himself chose out their way, And marked their journeys right; Gave them a leading cloud by day, A fiery guide by night. They thirst, and waters from the rock In rich abundance flow; And following still the course they took, Ran all the desert through. O wondrous stream! O blessed type Of ever-flowing grace! So Christ, our Rock, maintains our life Through all this wilderness. Thus guarded by th' Almighty hand, The chosen tribes possessed Canaan, the rich, the promised land, And there enjoyed their rest. Then let the world forbear its rage, The church renounce her fear; Isr'el must live through every age, And be th' Almighty's care.
Thy works of glory, mighty Lord, Thy wonders in the deeps, The sons of courage shall record Who trade in floating ships. At thy command the winds arise, And swell the towering waves; The men astonished mount the skies, And sink in gaping graves. [Again they climb the wat'ry hills, And plunge in deeps again; Each like a tott'ring drunkard reels, And finds his courage vain. Frighted to hear the tempest roar, They pant with flutt'ring breath; And hopeless of the distant shore, Expect immediate death.] Then to the Lord they raise their cries; He bears the loud request, And orders silence through the skies, And lays the floods to rest. Sailors rejoice to lose their fears, And see the storm allayed: Now to their eyes the port appears; There let their vows be paid. 'Tis God that brings them safe to land; Let stupid mortals know That waves are under his command, And all the winds that blow. O that the sons of men would praise The goodness of the Lord! And those that see thy wondrous ways, Thy wondrous love record.
God of my mercy and my praise, Thy glory is my song, Though sinners speak against thy grace With a blaspheming tongue. When in the form of mortal man Thy Son on earth was found, With cruel slanders, false and vain, They compassed him around. Their miseries his compassion move, Their peace he still pursued; They render hatred for his love, And evil for his good. Their malice raged without a cause, Yet, with his dying breath, He prayed for murderers on his cross, And blessed his foes in death. Lord, shall thy bright example shine In vain before my eyes? Give me a soul akin to thine, To love my enemies. The Lord shall on my side engage, And, in my Savior's name, I shall defeat their pride and rage Who slander and condemn.
Jesus, our Lord, ascend thy throne, And near the Father sit; In Zion shall thy power be known, And make thy foes submit. What wonders shall thy gospel do! Thy converts shall surpass The num'rous drops of morning dew, And own thy sovereign grace. God hath pronounced a firm decree, Nor changes what he swore: "Eternal shall thy priesthood be, When Aaron is no more. "Melchizedek, that wondrous priest, That king of high degree, That holy man who Abraham blessed, Was but a type of thee." Jesus our Priest for ever lives To plead for us above; Jesus our King for ever gives The blessings of his love. God shall exalt his glorious head, And his high throne maintain; Shall strike the powers and princes dead Who dare oppose his reign.
Songs of immortal praise belong To my almighty God; He has my heart, and he my tongue, To spread his name abroad. How great the works his hand has wrought How glorious in our sight! And men in every age have sought His wonders with delight. How most exact is nature's frame! How wise th' Eternal mind! His counsels never change the scheme That his first thoughts designed. When he redeemed his chosen sons, He fixed his cov'nant sure; The orders that his lips pronounce To endless years endure. Nature and time, and earth and skies, Thy heav'nly skill proclaim; What shall we do to make us wise, But learn to read thy name? To fear thy power, to trust thy grace, Is our divinest skill; And he's the wisest of our race That best obeys thy will.
Great is the Lord; his works of might Demand our noblest songs: Let his assembled saints unite Their harmony of tongues. Great is the mercy of the Lord; He gives his children food; And, ever mindful of his word, He makes his promise good. His Son, the great Redeemer, came To seal his cov'nant sure; Holy and reverend is his name, His ways are just and pure. They that would grow divinely wise Must with his fear begin; Our fairest proof of knowledge lies In hating every sin.
Happy is he that fears the Lord, And follows his commands; Who lends the poor without reward, Or gives with lib'ral hands. As pity dwells within his breast To all the sons of need; So God shall answer his request With blessings on his seed. No evil tidings shall surprise His well-established mind; His soul to God his refuge flies, And leaves his fears behind. In times of general distress Some beams of light shall shine, To show the world his righteousness, And give him peace divine. His works of piety and love Remain before the Lord; Honor on earth and joys above Shall be his sure reward.
I love the Lord; he heard my cries, And pitied every groan; Long as I live, when troubles rise, I'll hasten to his throne. I love the Lord; he bowed his ear, And chased my griefs away; O let my heart no more despair, While I have breath to pray! My flesh declined, my spirits fell, And I drew near the dead; While inward pangs and fears of hell Perplexed my wakeful head. "My God," I cried, "thy servant save, "Thou ever good and just; Thy power can rescue from the grave, Thy power is all my trust." The Lord beheld me sore distressed, He bid my pains remove Return, my soul, to God thy rest, For thou hast known his love. My God hath saved my soul from death, And dried my falling tears; Now to his praise I'll spend my breath, And my remaining years.
What shall I render to my God For all his kindness shown? My feet shall visit thine abode, My songs address thy throne. Among the saints that fill thine house My off'rings shall be paid; There shall my zeal perform the vows My soul in anguish made. How much is mercy thy delight, Thou ever-blessed God! How dear thy servants in thy sight! How precious is their blood! How happy all thy servants are! How great thy grace to me! My life, which thou hast made thy care, Lord, I devote to thee. Now I am thine, for ever thine, Nor shall my purpose move Thy hand hath loosed my bonds of pain, And bound me with thy love. Here in thy courts I leave my vow, And thy rich grace record; Witness, ye saints, who hear me now, If I forsake the Lord.
O all ye nations, praise the Lord, Each with a diff'rent tongue; In every language learn his word, And let his name be sung. His mercy reigns through every land; Proclaim his grace abroad; For ever firm his truth shall stand Praise ye the faithful God.
The Lord appears my helper now, Nor is my faith afraid What all the sons of earth can do, Since heav'n affords its aid. 'Tis safer, Lord, to hope in thee, And have my God my friend, Than trust in men of high degree, And on their truth depend. Like bees, my foes beset me round, A large and angry swarm; But I shall all their rage confound By thine almighty arm. 'Tis through the Lord my heart is strong, In him my lips rejoice; While his salvation is my song, How cheerful is my voice! Like angry bees, they girt me round; When God appears they fly; So burning thorns, with crackling sound, Make a fierce blaze and die. Joy to the saints and peace belongs; The Lord protects their days: Let Isr'el tune immortal songs To his almighty grace.
Lord, thou hast heard thy servant cry And rescued from the grave; Now shall he live; and none can die, If God resolve to save. Thy praise, more constant than before, Shall fill his daily breath; Thy hand, that hath chastised him sore, Defends him still from death. Open the gates of Zion now, For we shall worship there; The house where all the righteous go Thy mercy to declare. Among th' assemblies of thy saints Our thankful voice we raise; There we have told thee our complaints, And there we speak thy praise.
Behold the sure foundation-stone Which God in Zion lays, To build our heav'nly hopes upon, And his eternal praise. Chosen of God, to sinners dear, And saints adore the name; They trust their whole salvation here, Nor shall they suffer shame. The foolish builders, scribe and priest, Reject it with disdain; Yet on this Rock the church shall rest, And envy rage in vain. What though the gates of hell withstood, Yet must this building rise; 'Tis thy own work, almighty God, And wondrous in our eyes.
This is the day the Lord hath made, He calls the hours his own; Let heav'n rejoice, let earth be glad, And praise surround the throne. Today he rose and left the dead, And Satan's empire fell; Today the saints his triumphs spread, And all his wonders tell. Hosanna to th' anointed King, To David's holy Son; Help us, O Lord; descend and bring Salvation from thy throne. Blest be the Lord, who comes to men With messages of grace; Who comes in God his Father's name To save our sinful race. Hosanna in the highest strains The church on earth can raise; The highest heav'ns, in which he reigns, Shall give him nobler praise.
Thou God of love, thou ever-blest, Pity my suff'ring state; When wilt thou set my soul at rest From lips that love deceit? Hard lot of mine! my days are cast Among the sons of strife, Whose never-ceasing brawlings waste My golden hours of life. 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! 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. New passions still their souls engage, And keep their malice strong: What shall be done to curb thy rage, O thou devouring tongue! Should burning arrows smite thee through Strict justice would approve; But I had rather spare my foe, And melt his heart with love.
To heav'n I lift my waiting eyes, There all my hopes are laid: The Lord that built the earth and skies Is my perpetual aid. Their feet shall never slide to fall Whom he designs to keep; His ear attends the softest call, His eyes can never sleep. He will sustain our weakest powers With his almighty arm, And watch our most unguarded hours Against surprising harm. Isr'el, rejoice, and rest secure, Thy keeper is the Lord; His wakeful eyes employ his power For thine eternal guard. Nor scorching sun, nor sickly moon, Shall have his leave to smite; He shields thy head from burning noon, From blasting damps at night. He guards thy soul, he keeps thy breath, Where thickest dangers come: Go, and return, secure from death, Till God commands thee home.
How did my heart rejoice to hear My friends devoutly say, "In Zion let us all appear, And keep the solemn day!" I love her gates, I love the road; The church, adorned with grace, Stands like a palace built for God, To show his milder face. Up to her courts with joys unknown The holy tribes repair; The Son of David holds his throne, And sits in judgment there. He hears our praises and complaints; And while his awful voice Divides the sinners from the saints, We tremble and rejoice. Peace be within this sacred place, And joy a constant guest! With holy gifts and heav'nly grace Be her attendants blest! My Soul shall pray for Zion still, While life or breath remains; There my best friends, my kindred dwell, There God my Savior reigns.
O thou whose grace and justice reign Enthroned above the skies, To thee our hearts would tell their pain, To thee we lift our eyes. As servants watch their master's hand, And fear the angry stroke; Or maids before their mistress stand, And wait a peaceful look; So for our sins we justly feel Thy discipline, O God; Yet wait the gracious moment still, Till thou remove thy rod. Those that in wealth and pleasure live, Our daily groans deride, And thy delays of mercy give Fresh courage to their pride. Our foes insult us, but our hope In thy compassion lies; This thought shall bear our spirits up, That God will not despise.
Unshaken as the sacred hill, And firm as mountains be, Firm as a rock the soul shall rest That leans, O Lord, on thee. Not walls nor hills could guard so well Old Salem's happy ground, As those eternal arms of love That every saint surround. While tyrants are a smarting scourge To drive them near to God, Divine compassion does allay The fury of the rod. Deal gently, Lord, with souls sincere, And lead them safely on To the bright gates of Paradise, Where Christ their Lord is gone. But if we trace those crooked ways That the old serpent drew, The wrath that drove him first to hell Shall smite his followers too.
When God revealed his gracious name, And changed my mournful state, My rapture seemed a pleasing dream, The grace appeared so great. The world beheld the glorious change, And did thy hand confess; My tongue broke out in unknown strains, And sung surprising grace. "Great is the work," my neighbors cried, And owned the power divine; "Great is the work," my heart replied, "And be the glory thine." The Lord can clear the darkest skies, Can give us day for night; Make drops of sacred sorrow rise To rivers of delight. Let those that sow in sadness wait Till the fair harvest come, They shall confess their sheaves are great, And shout the blessings home. Though seed lie buried long in dust, It shan't deceive their hope; The precious grain can ne'er be lost, For grace insures the crop.
If God to build the house deny, The builders work in vain; And towns, without his wakeful eye, A useless watch maintain. Before the morning beams arise, Your painful work renew; And till the stars ascend the skies, Your tiresome toil pursue; Short be your sleep, and coarse your fare; In vain, till God has blessed; But if his smiles attend your care, You shall have food and rest. Nor children, relatives, nor friends, Shall real blessings prove; Nor all the earthly joys he sends, If sent without his love.
O happy man, whose soul is filled With zeal and reverent awe! His lips to God their honors yield, His life adorns the law. A careful providence shall stand And ever guard thy head, Shall on the labors of thy hand Its kindly blessings shed. [Thy wife shall be a fruitful vine; Thy children round thy board, Each like a plant of honor shine, And learn to fear the Lord.] The Lord shall thy best hopes fulfil For months and years to come; The Lord, who dwells on Zion's hill, Shall send thee blessings home. This is the man whose happy eyes Shall see his house increase; Shall see the sinking church arise, Then leave the world in peace.
Up from my youth, may Isr'el say, Have I been nursed in tears; My griefs were constant as the day, And tedious as the years. Up from my youth I bore the rage Of all the sons of strife; Oft they assailed my riper age, But not destroyed my life. Their cruel plow had torn my flesh With furrows long and deep; Hourly they vexed my wounds afresh, Nor let my sorrows sleep. The Lord grew angry on his throne, And, with impartial eye, Measured the mischiefs they had done, Then let his arrows fly. How was their insolence surprised To hear his thunders roll! And all the foes of Zion seized With horror to the soul! Thus shall the men that hate the saints Be blasted from the sky; Their glory fades, their courage faints And all their projects die. [What though they flourish tall and fair, They have no root beneath; Their growth shall perish in despair, And lie despised in death.] [So corn that on the house-top stands No hope of harvest gives; The reaper ne'er shall fill his hands, Nor binder fold the sheaves. It springs and withers on the place; No traveller bestows A word of blessing on the grass, Nor minds it as he goes.]
Out of the deeps of long distress, The borders of despair, I sent my cries to seek thy grace, My groans to move thine ear. Great God, should thy severer eye, And thine impartial hand, Mark and revenge iniquity, No mortal flesh could stand. But there are pardons with my God For crimes of high degree; Thy Son has bought them with his blood, To draw us near to thee. [I wait for thy salvation, Lord, With strong desires I wait; My soul, invited by thy word, Stands watching at thy gate.] [Just as the guards that keep the night Long for the morning skies, Watch the first beams of breaking light, And meet them with their eyes; So waits my soul to see thy grace, And, more intent than they, Meets the first openings of thy face, And finds a brighter day.] [Then in the Lord let Isr'el trust, Let Isr'el seek his face; The Lord is good as well as just, And plenteous is his grace. There's full redemption at his throne For sinners long enslaved; The great Redeemer is his Son, And Isr'el shall be saved.]
Is there ambition in my heart?. Search, gracious God, and see; Or do I act a haughty part? Lord, I appeal to thee. I charge my thoughts, be humble still, And all my carriage mild, Content, my Father, with thy will, And quiet as a child. The patient soul, the lowly mind, Shall have a large reward: Let saints in sorrow lie resigned, And trust a faithful Lord.
[No sleep nor slumber to his eyes Good David would afford, Till he had found below the skies A dwelling for the Lord. The Lord in Zion placed his name, His ark was settled there; To Zion the whole nation came To worship thrice a year. But we have no such lengths to go, Nor wander far abroad; Where'er thy saints assemble now, There is a house for God.] PAUSE. Arise, O King of grace, arise, And enter to thy rest! Lo! thy church waits with longing eyes Thus to be owned and blessed. Enter with all thy glorious train, Thy Spirit and thy word; All that the ark did once contain Could no such grace afford. Here, mighty God, accept our vows, Here let thy praise be spread; Bless the provisions of thy house, And fill thy poor with bread. Here let the Son of David reign, Let God's Anointed shine; Justice and truth his court maintain With love and power divine. Here let him hold a lasting throne; And as his kingdom grows, Fresh honors shall adorn his crown, And shame confound his foes.
Lo! what an entertaining sight Are brethren that agree! Brethren, whose cheerful hearts unite In bands of piety! When streams of love from Christ the spring Descend to every soul, And heav'nly peace, with balmy wing, Shades and bedews the whole; 'Tis like the oil, divinely sweet, On Aaron's reverend head The trickling drops perfumed his feet, And o'er his garments spread. 'Tis pleasant as the morning dews That fall on Zion's hill, Where God his mildest glory shows, And makes his grace distil.
Ye that obey th' immortal King, Attend his holy place; Bow to the glories of his power, And bless his wondrous grace. Lift up your hands by morning light, And send your souls on high; Raise your admiring thoughts by night Above the starry sky. The God of Zion cheers our hearts With rays of quick'ning grace; The God that spread the heav'ns abroad, And rules the swelling seas.
Awake, ye saints; to praise your King, Your sweetest passions raise, Your pious pleasure, while you sing, Increasing with the praise. Great is the Lord, and works unknown Are his divine employ; But still his saints are near his throne, His treasure and his joy. Heav'n, earth, and sea confess his hand; He bids the vapors rise; Lightning and storm at his command Sweep through the sounding skies. All power that gods or kings have claimed Is found with him alone But heathen gods should ne'er be named Where our Jehovah's known. Which of the stocks or stones they trust Can give them showers of rain? In vain they worship glitt'ring dust, And pray to gold in vain. [Their gods have tongues that cannot talk, Such as their makers gave; Their feet were ne'er designed to walk, Nor hands have power to save. Blind are their eyes, their ears are deaf, Nor hear when mortals pray; Mortals that wait for their relief Are blind and deaf as they.] O Britain, know thy living God, Serve him with faith and fear; He makes thy churches his abode, And claims thine honors there.
Give thanks to God the sovereign Lord; His mercies still endure; And be the King of kings adored; His truth is ever sure. What wonders hath his wisdom done! How mighty is his hand! Heav'n, earth, and sea, he framed alone; How wide is his command. The sun supplies the day with light; How bright his counsels shine! The moon and stars adorn the night; His works are all divine. [He struck the sons of Egypt dead; How dreadful is his rod! And thence with joy his people led; How gracious is our God! He cleft the swelling sea in two; His arm is great in might; And gave the tribes a passage through; His power and grace unite. But Pharaoh's army there he drowned; How glorious are his ways! And brought his saints through desert ground; Eternal be his praise! Great monarchs fell beneath his hand; Victorious is his sword; While Isr'el took the promised land; And faithful is his word.] He saw the nations dead in sin; He felt his pity move: How sad the state the world was in! How boundless was his love! He sent to save us from our woe; His goodness never fails; From death, and hell, and every foe; And still his grace prevails. Give thanks to God the heav'nly King; His mercies still endure: Let the whole earth his praises sing; His truth is ever sure.
In all my vast concerns with thee, In vain my soul would try To shun thy presence, Lord, or flee The notice of thine eye. Thy all-surrounding sight surveys My rising and my rest, My public walks, my private ways, And secrets of my breast. My thoughts lie open to the Lord Before they're formed within; And ere my lips pronounce the word He knows the sense I mean. O wondrous knowledge, deep and high! Where can a creature hide? Within thy circling arms I lie, Beset on every side. So let thy grace surround me still, And like a bulwark prove, To guard my soul from every ill, Secured by sovereign love. PAUSE. Lord, where shall guilty souls retire, Forgotten and unknown? In hell they meet thy dreadful fire, In heav'n thy glorious throne. Should I suppress my vital breath To 'scape the wrath divine, Thy voice would break the bars of death, And make the grave resign. If winged with beams of morning light I fly beyond the west, Thy hand, which must support my flight, Would soon betray my rest. If o'er my sins I think to draw The curtains of the night, Those flaming eyes that guard thy law Would turn the shades to light. The beams of noon, the midnight hour, Are both alike to thee O may I ne'er provoke that power From which I cannot flee.
When I with pleasing wonder stand, And all my frame survey, Lord, 'tis thy work I own thy hand Thus built my humble clay. Thy hand my heart and reins possessed Where unborn nature grew; Thy wisdom all my features traced, And all my members drew. Thine eye with nicest care surveyed The growth of every part; Till the whole scheme thy thoughts had laid Was copied by thy art. Heav'n, earth, and sea, and fire, and wind, Show me thy wondrous skill But I review myself, and find Diviner wonders still. Thy aweful glories round me shine, My flesh proclaims thy praise; Lord, to thy works of nature join Thy miracles of grace.
Lord, when I count thy mercies o'er, They strike me with surprise; Not all the sands that spread the shore To equal numbers rise. My flesh with fear and wonder stands, The product of thy skill; And hourly blessings from thy hands Thy thoughts of love reveal. These on my heart by night I keep; How kind, how dear to me! O may the hour that ends my sleep Still find my thoughts with thee!
To God I made my sorrows known, From God I sought relief; In long complaints before his throne I poured out all my grief. My soul was overwhelmed with woes, My heart began to break; My God, who all my burden knows, He knows the way I take. On every side I cast mine eye, And found my helpers gone; While friends and strangers passed me by, Neglected or unknown. Then did I raise a louder cry, And called thy mercy near,- "Thou art my portion when I die; Be thou my refuge here." Lord, I am brought exceeding low, Now let thine ear attend, And make my foes who vex me know I've an almighty Friend. From my sad prison set me free, Then shall I praise thy name, And holy men shall join with me Thy kindness to proclaim.
For ever blessed be the Lord, My Savior and my shield; He sends his Spirit with his word, To arm me for the field. When sin and hell their force unite, He makes my soul his care, Instructs me to the heav'nly fight, And guards me through the war. A friend and helper so divine Does my weak courage raise; He makes the glorious vict'ry mine, And his shall be the praise.
Lord, what is man, poor feeble man, Born of the earth at first? His life a shadow, light and vain, Still hasting to the dust. O what is feeble, dying man, Or any of his race, That God should make it his concern To visit him with grace? That God who darts his lightnings down, Who shakes the worlds above, And mountains tremble at his frown, How wondrous is his love!
Long as I live I'll bless thy name, My King, my God of love; My work and joy shall be the same In the bright world above. Great is the Lord, his power unknown, And let his praise be great; I'll sing the honors of thy throne, Thy works of grace repeat. Thy grace shall dwell upon my tongue; And while my lips rejoice, The men that hear my sacred song Shall join their cheerful voice. Fathers to sons shall teach thy name, And children learn thy ways; Ages to come thy truth proclaim, And nations sound thy praise. Thy glorious deeds of ancient date Shall through the world be known; Thine arm of power, thy heav'nly state, With public splendor shown. The world is managed by thy hands, Thy saints are ruled by love; And thine eternal kingdom stands, Though rocks and hills remove.
Sweet is the memory of thy grace, My God, my heav'nly King; Let age to age thy righteousness In sounds of glory sing. God reigns on high, but not confines His goodness to the skies; Through the whole earth his bounty shines, And every want supplies. With longing eyes thy creatures wait On thee for daily food; Thy lib'ral hand provides their meat, And fills their mouths with good. How kind are thy compassions, Lord! How slow thine anger moves! But soon he sends his pard'ning word To cheer the souls he loves. Creatures with all their endless race Thy power and praise proclaim; But saints that taste thy richer grace Delight to bless thy name.
Let every tongue thy goodness speak, Thou sovereign Lord of all; Thy strength'ning hands uphold the weak, And raise the poor that fall. When sorrow bows the spirit down, Or virtue lies distressed Beneath some proud oppressor's frown, Thou giv'st the mourners rest. The Lord supports our tott'ring days, And guides our giddy youth; Holy and just are all his ways, And all his words are truth. He knows the pains his servants feel, He hears his children cry, And their best wishes to fulfil, His grace is ever nigh. His mercy never shall remove From men of heart sincere; He saves the souls whose humble love Is joined with holy fear. [His stubborn foes his sword shall slay, And pierce their hearts with pain But none that serve the Lord shall say, "They sought his aid in vain."] [My lips shall dwell upon his praise, And spread his fame abroad; Let all the sons of Adam raise The honors of their God.]
With songs and honors sounding loud, Address the Lord on high; Over the heav'ns he spreads his cloud, And waters veil the sky. He sends his showers of blessing down To cheer the plains below; He makes the grass the mountains crown, And corn in valleys grow. He gives the grazing ox his meat, He hears the raven's cry; But man, who tastes his finest wheat, Should raise his honors high. His steady counsels change the face Of the declining year; He bids the sun cut short his race, And wintry days appear. His hoary frost, his fleecy snow, Descend and clothe the ground; The liquid streams forbear to flow, In icy fetters bound. When from the dreadful stores on high He pours the rattling hail, The wretch that dares this God defy Shall find his courage fail. He sends his word, and melts the snow, The fields no longer mourn; He calls the warmer gales to blow, And bids the spring return. The changing wind, the flying cloud, Obey his mighty word: With songs and honors sounding loud, Praise ye the sovereign Lord.
All ye that love the Lord, rejoice, And let your songs be new; Amidst the church with cheerful voice His later wonders show. The Jews, the people of his grace, Shall their Redeemer sing; And Gentile nations join the praise, While Zion owns her King. The Lord takes pleasure in the just, Whom sinners treat with scorn; The meek that lie despised in dust Salvation shall adorn. Saints should be joyful in their King, E'en on a dying bed; And like the souls in glory sing; For God shall raise the dead. Then his high praise shall fill their tongues Their hands shall wield the sword; And vengeance shall attend their songs, The vengeance of the Lord. When Christ the judgment-seat ascends, And bids the world appear, Thrones are prepared for all his friends Who humbly loved him here. Then shall they rule with iron rod Nations that dared rebel; And join the sentence of their God On tyrants doomed to hell. The royal sinners bound in chains New triumphs shall afford: Such honor for the saints remains; Praise ye, and love the Lord!
In God's own house pronounce his praise, His grace he there reveals; To heav'n your joy and wonder raise, For there his glory dwells. Let all your sacred passions move, While you rehearse his deeds; But the great work of saving love Your highest praise exceeds. All that have motion, life, and breath, Proclaim your Maker blest; Yet, when my voice expires in death, My soul shall praise him best.
Lyrics:
Isaac Watts
Music: Scottish Psalter, 1615 (Tune: ABBEY)
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Music: Catholische Geistliche Gesänge, Andernach, 1608 (Tune: ABBOTSFORD)
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Music: English air (Tune: CAMPMEETING)
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Music: D. C. Beahm (Tune: DB_CM_001)
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Music: Scottish Psalter, 1615 (Tune: DUNDEE)
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Music: Scottish Psalter, 1615 (Tune: DUNFERMLINE)
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Music: Gesangbuch der Herzogl., Württemburg, 1784 (Tune: ELLACOMBE)
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Music: A collection of hymns and sacred poems, Dublin, 1749 (Tune: IRISH)
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Music: John Chetham (Tune: MARLOW)
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Music: William Knapp (Tune: MEAR)
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Music: Richard Redhead (Tune: REDHEAD NO. 66)
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Music: William Croft (Tune: ST. ANNE)
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Music: Tochter Zion, Cologne, 1741 (arr. John Richardson) (Tune: ST. BERNARD)
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Music: Thomas Turton (Tune: ST. ETHELDREDA)
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Music: John Day, Psalter, 1563 (Tune: ST. FLAVIAN)
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Music: Jeremiah Clark (Tune: ST. MAGNUS)
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Music: Alexander Robert Reinagle (Tune: ST. PETER)
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Music: Rev. William Jones (Tune: ST. STEPHEN)
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Music: Thomas Tallis (Tune: TALLIS' ORDINAL)
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Music: Thomas Este, Psalter, 1592 (Tune: WINCHESTER OLD)
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