1 If God to build the house deny,The builders work in vain;And towns, without his wakeful eye,An useless watch maintain.
2 Before the morning beams arise,Your painful work renew,And till the stars ascend the skiesYour tiresome toil pursue.
3 Short be your sleep, and coarse your fare;In vain, till God has blest;But if his smiles attend your care,You shall have food and rest.
4 Nor children, relatives, nor friendsShall real blessings prove,Nor all the earthly joys he sends,If sent without his love.
Psalm 128.Family blessings.
1 O happy man, whose soul is fill'dWith zeal and reverend awe;His lips to God their honours yield,His life adorns the law.
2 A careful providence shall standAnd ever guard thy head,Shall on the labours of thy handIts kindly blessings shed.
3 [Thy wife shall be a fruitful vine;Thy children round thy board,Each like a plant of honour shine,And learn to fear the Lord.]
4 The Lord shall thy best hopes fulfilFor months and years to come;The Lord who dwells on Zion's hill,Shall send thee blessings home.
5 This is the man whose happy eyesShall see his house increase,Shall see the sinking church arise,Then leave the world in peace.
Psalm 129.Persecutors punished.
1 Up from my youth, may Israel say,Have I been nurs'd in tears;My griefs were constant as the day,And tedious as the years.
2 Up from my youth I bore the rageOf all the sons of strife;Oft they assail'd my riper age,But not destroy'd my life.
3 Their cruel plough had torn my fleshWith furrows long and deep,Hourly they vex my wounds afresh,Nor let my sorrows sleep.
4 The Lord grew angry on his throne,And with impartial eyeMeasur'd the mischiefs they had doneThen let his arrows fly.
5 How was their insolence surpris'dTo hear his thunders roll!And all the foes of Zion seiz'dWith horror to the soul.
6 Thus shall the men that hate the saintsBe blasted from the sky;Their glory fades, their courage faints,And all their projects die.
7 [What tho' they flourish tall and fair,They have no root beneath;Their growth shall perish in despair,And lie despis'd in death.]
8 [So corn that on the house-top standsNo hope of harvest gives;The reaper ne'er shall fill his hands,Nor binder fold the sheaves.
9 It springs and withers on the place:No traveller bestowsA word of blessing on the grass,Nor minds it as he goes.]
Psalm 130:1. C. M.Pardoning grace.
1 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.
2 Great God, should thy severer eye,And thine impartial hand,Mark and revenge iniquity,No mortal flesh could stand.
3 But there are pardons with my GodFor crimes of high degree;Thy Son has bought them with his bloodTo draw us near to thee.
4 [I wait for thy salvation, Lord,With strong desires I wait;My soul, invited by thy word,Stands watching at thy gate.]
5 [Just as the guards that keep the nightLong for the morning skies,Watch the first beams of breaking light,And meet them with their eyes;
6 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.]
7 [Then in the Lord let Israel trust,Let Israel seek his face;The Lord is good as well as just,And plenteous is his grace.
8 There's full redemption at his throneFor sinners long enslav'd;The great Redeemer is his Son,And Israel shall be sav'd.]
Psalm 130:2. L. M.Pardoning grace.
1 From deep distress and troubled thoughts,To thee, my God, I rais'd my cries;If thou severely mark our faults,No flesh can stand before thine eyes.
2 But thou hast built thy throne of grace,Free to dispense thy pardons there,That sinners may approach thy face,And hope and love, as well as fear.
3 As the benighted pilgrims wait,And long, and wish for breaking day,So waits my soul before thy gate;When will my God his face display?
4 My trust is fix'd upon thy word,Nor shall I trust thy word in vain:Let mourning souls address the Lord,And find relief from all their pain.
5 Great is his love, and large his grace,Thro' the redemption of his Son:He turns our feet from sinful ways,And pardons what our hands have done.
Psalm 131.Humility and submission.
1 Is there ambition in my heart?Search, gracious God, and see;Or do I act a haughty part?Lord, I appeal to thee.
2 I charge my thoughts, be humble still,And all my carriage mild,Content, my Father, with thy will,And quiet as a child.
3 The patient soul, the lowly mindShall have a large reward:Let saints in sorrow lie resign'd,And trust a faithful Lord.
Psalm 132:1. 5 13-18. L. M. At the settlement of a church; or, The ordination of a Minister.
1 Where shall we go to seek and findAn habitation for our God,A dwelling for th' Eternal MindAmongst the sons of flesh and blood?
2 The God of Jacob chose the hillOf Zion for his ancient rest;And Zion is his dwelling still,His church is with his presence blest.
3 Here will I fix my gracious throne,And reign for ever, saith the Lord;Here shall my power, and love be known,And blessings shall attend my word.
4 Here will I meet the hungry poor,And fill their souls with living bread;Sinners that wait before my door,With sweet provision shall be fed.
5 Girded with truth and cloth'd with grace,My priests, my ministers shall shine:Not Aaron, in his costly dress,Made an appearance so divine.
6 The saints, unable to containTheir inward joys shall shout and sing;The Son of David here shall reign,And Zion triumph in her King.
7 [Jesus shall see a numerous seedBorn here, t' uphold his glorious Name;His crown shall flourish on his head,While all his foes are cloth'd with shame!]
Psalm 132:2. 4 5 7 8 15-17. C. M.A church established.
1 [No sleep nor slumber to his eyesGood David would afford,Till he had found below the skiesA dwelling for the Lord.
2 The Lord in Zion plac'd his Name,His ark was settled there;To Zion the whole nation came,To worship thrice a year.
3 But we have no such lengths to go,Nor wander far abroad;Where'er thy saints assemble now,There is a house for God.]
4 Arise, O King of Grace, arise,And enter to thy rest!Lo! thy church waits, with longing eyes,Thus to be own'd and blest.
5 Enter with all thy glorious train,Thy Spirit and thy word;All that the ark did once containCould no such grace afford.
6 Here, mighty God, accept our vows,Here let thy praise be spread;Bless the provisions of thy house,And fill thy poor with bread.
7 Here let the Son of David reign,Let God's Anointed shine;Justice and truth his court maintain,With love and power divine.
8 Here let him hold a lasting throne;And as his kingdom grows,Fresh honours shall adorn his crown,And shame confound his foes.
Psalm 133:1. C. M.Brotherly love.
1 Lo! what an entertaining sightAre brethren that agree,Brethren, whose cheerful hearts uniteIn bands of piety!
2 When streams of love from Christ the springDescend to every soul,And heavenly peace, with balmy wing,Shades and bedews the whole;
3 'Tis like the oil divinely sweet,On Aaron's reverend head,The trickling drops perfum'd his feet,And o'er his garments spread.
4 'Tis pleasant as the morning dewsThat fall on Zion's hill,Where God his mildest glory shews,And makes his grace distil.
Psalm 133:2. S. M. Communion of saints; or, Love and worship in a family.
1 Blest are the sons of peace,Whose hearts and hopes are one,Whose kind designs to serve and pleaseThro' all their actions run.
2 Blest is the pious houseWhere seat and friendship meet,Their songs of praise, their mingled vowsMake their communion sweet.
3 Thus when on Aaron's headThey pour'd the rich perfume,The oil thro' all his raiment spread,And pleasure fill'd the room.
4 Thus on the heavenly hillsThe saints are blest above,Where joy like morning dew distils,And all the air is love.
Psalm 133:3. As the 122nd Psalm.The blessings of friendship.
1 How pleasant 'tis to seeKindred and friends agree,Each in their proper station move,And each fulfil their partWith sympathizing heart,In all the cares of life and love!
2 'Tis like the ointment shedOn Aaron's sacred head,Divinely rich, divinely sweet;The oil, thro' all the room,Diffus'd a choice perfume,Ran thro' his robes, and blest his feet.
3 Like fruitful showers of rain,That water all the plain,Descending from the neighbouring hills;Such streams of pleasure rollThro' every friendly soul,Where love like heavenly dew distils.
Repeat the first stanza to complete the tune.
Psalm 134.Daily and nightly devotion.
1 Ye that obey th' immortal King,Attend his holy place,Bow to the glories of his power,And bless his wondrous grace;
2 Lift up your hands by morning-light,And send your souls on high;Raise your admiring thoughts by nightAbove the starry sky.
3 The God of Zion cheers our heartsWith rays of quickening grace;The God that spread the heavens abroad,And rules the swelling seas.
Psalm 135:1. 1-4 14 19 21. First Part. L. M.The church is God's house and care.
1 Praise ye the Lord, exalt his Name,While in his holy courts ye wait,Ye saints, that to his house belong,Or stand attending at his gate.
2 Praise ye the Lord; the Lord is good;To praise his Name is sweet employ;Israel he chose of old, and stillHis church is his peculiar joy.
3 The Lord himself will judge his saints;He treats his servants as his friends;And when he hears their sore complaints,Repents the sorrows that he sends.
4 Thro' every age the Lord declaresHis Name and breaks th' oppressor's rod;He gives his suffering servants rest,And will be known th' almighty God.
6 Bless ye the Lord, who taste his love,People and priests exalt his Name:Amongst his saints he ever dwells;His church is his Jerusalem.
Psalm 135:2. 5-12. Second Part. L. M. The works of creation, providence, redemption of Israel, and destruction of enemies.
1 Great is the Lord, exalted highAbove all powers and every throne;Whate'er he please in earth or sea,Or heaven, or hell, his hand hath done.
2 At his command the vapours rise,The lightnings flash, the thunders roar;He pours the rain, he brings the wind,And tempest from his airy store.
3 'Twas he those dreadful tokens sent,O Egypt thro' thy stubborn land;When all thy first-born beasts and menFell dead by his avenging hand.
4 What mighty nations, mighty kings,He slew, and their whole country gaveTo Israel, whom his hand redeem'd,No more to be proud Pharaoh's slave!
5 His power the same, the same his grace,That saves us from the hosts of hell;And heaven he gives us to possess,Whence those apostate angels fell.
Psalm 135:3. C. M.Praise due to God, not to idols.
1 Awake, ye saints; to praise your King,Your sweetest passions raise,Your pious pleasure, while you sing,Increasing with the praise.
2 Great is the Lord; and works unknownAre his divine employ;But still his saints are near his throne,His treasure and his joy.
3 Heaven, earth, and sea, confess his hand;He bids the vapours rise;Lightning and storm at his commandSweep thro' the sounding skies.
4 All power, that gods or kings have claim'dIs found with him alone;But heathen gods should ne'er be nam'dWhere our Jehovah's known.
5 Which of the stocks or stones they trustCan give them showers of rain?In vain they worship glittering dust,And pray to gold in vain.
6 [Their gods have tongues that cannot talk,Such as their makers gave:Their feet were ne'er design'd to walk,Nor hands have power to save.
7 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.]
8 O Britain, know thy living God,Serve him with faith and fear;He makes thy churches his abode,And claims thine honours there.
Psalm 136:1. C. M. God's wonders of creation, providence, redemption of Israel, and salvation of his people.
1 Give thanks to God the sovereign Lord;His mercies still endure!And be the King of kings ador'd;His truth is ever sure.
2 What wonders hath his wisdom done!How mighty is his hand!Heaven, earth, and sea, he fram'd alone:How wide is his command!
3 The sun supplies the day with light;How bright his counsels shine!The moon and stars adorn the night;His works are all divine!
4 [He struck the sons of Egypt dead;How dreadful is his rod!And thence with joy his people led:How gracious is our God!
5 He cleft the swelling sea in two;His arm is great in might,And gave the tribes a passage thro';His power and grace unite.
6 But Pharaoh's army there he drown'd;How glorious are his ways!And brought his saints thro' desert ground;Eternal be his praise.
7 Great monarchs fell beneath his hand,Victorious is his sword;While Israel took the promis'd land;And faithful is his word.]
8 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!
9 He sent to save us from our woe;His goodness never fails;From death, and hell, and every foe;And still his grace prevails.
10 Give thanks to God the heavenly King;His mercies still endure!Let the whole earth his praises sing;His truth is ever sure.
Psalm 136:2. As the 148th Psalm. God's wonders of creation, providence, redemption of Israel, and salvation of his people.
1 Give thanks to God most high,The universal Lord;The sovereign King of kings;And be his grace ador'd.His power and graceAre still the same;And let his NameHave endless praise.
2 How mighty is his hand!What wonders hath he done!He form'd the earth and seas,And spread the heavens alone.Thy mercy, Lord,Shall still endure;And ever sureAbides thy word.
3 His wisdom fram'd the sunTo crown the day with light;The moon and twinkling starsTo cheer the darksome night.His power and graceAre still the same;And let his NameHave endless praise.
4 [He smote the first-born Sons,The flower of Egypt, dead:And thence his chosen tribesWith joy and glory led.Thy mercy, Lord,Shall still endure;And ever sureAbides thy word.
5 His power and lifted rodCleft the Red-sea in two:And for his people madeA wondrous passage thro'.His power and graceAre still the same;And let his NameHave endless praise.
6 But cruel Pharaoh thereWith all his host he drown'd;And brought his Israel safeThro' a long desert ground.Thy mercy, Lord,Shall still endure;And ever sureAbides thy word.
The kings of Canaan fellBeneath his dreadful hand:While his own servants tookPossession of their land.His power and graceAre still the same;And let his nameHave endless praise.]
8 He saw the nations lieAll perishing in sin,And pity'd the sad stateThe ruin'd world was in.Thy mercy, Lord,Shall still endure;And ever sureAbides thy word.
9 He sent his only SonTo save us from our woe,From Satan sin and death,And every hurtful foe.His power and graceAre still the same;And let his NameHave endless praise.
10 Give thanks aloud to God,To God the heavenly King;And let the spacious earthHis works and glories sing.Thy mercy, Lord,Shall still endure;And ever sureAbides thy word.
Psalm 136:3. Abridged. L. M. God's wonders of creation, providence, redemption and salvation.
1 Give to our God immortal praise;Mercy and truth are all his ways:'Wonders of grace to God belong,'Repeat his mercies in your song.'
2 Give to the Lord of lords renown,The King of kings with glory crown:'His mercies ever shall endure,'When' lords and kings are known 'no more.'
3 He built the earth, he spread the sky,And fix'd the starry lights on high;'Wonders of grace to God belong,'Repeat his mercies in your song.'
4 He fills the sun with morning light,He bids the moon direct the night:'His mercies ever shall endure,'When' suns and moons shall shine 'no more.'
5 The Jews he freed from Pharaoh's hand,And brought them to the promis'd land;'Wonders of grace to God belong,'Repeat his mercies in your song.'
6 He saw the Gentiles dead in sin,And felt his pity work within:'His mercies ever shall endure,'When' death and sin shall reign 'no more.'
7 He sent his Son with power to saveFrom guilt, and darkness, and the grave:'Wonders of grace to God belong,'Repeat his mercies in your song.'
8 Thro' this vain world he guides our feet,And leads us to his heavenly seat:'His mercies ever shall endure,'When' this vain world shall be 'no more.'
Psalm 138.Restoring and preserving grace.
1 [With all my powers of heart and tongueI'll praise my Maker in my song:Angels shall hear the notes I raise,Approve the song, and join the praise.
2 Angels that make thy church their careShall witness my devotions there,While holy zeal directs my eyesTo thy fair temple in the skies.]
3 I'll sing thy truth and mercy, Lord,I'll sing the wonders of thy word;Not all thy works and names belowSo much thy power and glory show.
4 To God I cry'd when troubles rose;He heard me, and subdu'd my foes,He did my rising fears control,And strength diffus'd thro' all my soul.
5 The God of heaven maintains his state,Frowns on the proud and scorns the great;But from his throne descends to seeThe sons of humble poverty.
6 Amidst a thousand snares I standUpheld and guarded by thy hand;Thy words my fainting soul revive,And keep my dying faith alive.
7 Grace will complete what grace begins,To save from sorrows or from sins;The work that wisdom undertakesEternal mercy ne'er forsakes.
Psalm 139:1. First Part. L. M.The all-seeing God.
1 Lord, thou hast search'd and seen me thro';Thine eye commands with piercing viewMy rising and my resting hours,My heart and flesh with all their powers.
2 My thoughts, before they are my own,Are to my God distinctly known;He knows the words I mean to speakEre from my opening lips they break.
3 Within thy circling power I stand;On every side I find thy hand:Awake, asleep, at home, abroad,I am surrounded still with God.
4 Amazing knowledge, vast and great!What large extent! what lofty height!My soul, with all the powers I boast,Is in the boundless prospect lost.
5 "O may these thoughts possess my breast,"Where'er I rove where'er I rest!"Nor let my weaker passions dare"Consent to sin, for God is there."
6 Could I so false, so faithless prove,To quit thy service and thy love,Where, Lord, could I thy presence shun,Or from thy dreadful glory run?
7 If up to heaven I take my flight,'Tis there thou dwell'st enthron'd in light;Or dive to hell, there vengeance reigns,And Satan groans beneath thy chains.
8 If mounted on a morning ray,I fly beyond the western sea,Thy swifter hand would first arrive,And there arrest thy fugitive.
9 Or should I try to shun thy sightBeneath the spreading veil of night,One glance of thine, one piercing ray,Would kindle darkness into day.
10 "O may these thoughts possess my breast,"Where'er I rove, where'er I rest!"Nor let my weaker passions dare"Consent to sin, for God is there."
11 The veil of night is no disguise,No screen from thy all-searching eyes;Thy hand can seize thy foes as soon,Thro' midnight shades as blazing noon.
12 Midnight and noon in this agree,Great God, they're both alike to thee:Not death can hide what God will spy,And hell lies naked to his eye.
13 "O may these thoughts possess my breast,"Where'er I rove where'er I rest!"Nor let my weaker passions dare"Consent to sin, for God is there."
Psalm 139:2. Second Part. L. M.The wonderful formation of man.
1 'Twas from thy hand, my God, I came,A work of such a curious frame;In me thy fearful wonders shine,And each proclaims thy skill divine.
2 Thine eyes did all my limbs survey,Which yet in dark confusion lay;Thou saw'st the daily growth they took,Form'd by the model of thy book.
3 By thee my growing parts were nam'd,And what thy sovereign counsels fram'd,(The breathing lungs, the beating heart)Was copy'd with unerring art.
4 At last, to shew my Maker's name,God stamp'd his image on my frame,And in some unknown moment join'dThe finish'd members to the mind.
5 There the young seeds of thought beganAnd all the passions of the man:Great God, our infant nature paysImmortal tribute to thy praise.
6 Lord, since in my advancing ageI've acted on life's busy stage,Thy thoughts of love to me surmountThe power of numbers to recount.
7 I could survey the ocean o'er,And count each sand that makes the shore,Before my swiftest thoughts could traceThe numerous wonders of thy grace.
8 These on my heart are still impress'd,With these I give my eyes to rest;And at my waking hour I findGod and his love possess my mind.
Psalm 139:3. Third Part. L. M. Sincerity professed, and grace tried; or, The heart- searching of God.
1 My God, what inward grief I feelWhen impious men transgress thy will!I mourn to hear their lips profaneTake thy tremendous Name in vain.
2 Does not my soul detest and hateThe sons of malice and deceit?Those that oppose thy laws and theeI count them enemies to me.
3 Lord, search my soul, try every thought;Tho' my own heart accuse me notOf walking in a false disguise,I beg the trial of thine eyes.
4 Doth secret mischief lurk within?Do I indulge some unknown sin?O turn my feet whene'er I stray,And lead me in thy perfect way.
Psalm 139:4. First Part. C. M.God is every where.
1 In all my vast concerns with theeIn vain my soul would tryTo shun thy presence, Lord, or fleeThe notice of thine eye.
2 Thy all-surrounding sight surveysMy rising and my rest,My public walks, my private ways,And secrets of my breast.
3 My thoughts lie open to the LordBefore they're form'd within:And ere my lips pronounce the word,He knows the sense I mean.
4 O wondrous knowledge, deep and high!Where can a creature hide?Within thy circling arms I lie,Beset on every side.
5 So let thy grace surround me still,And like a bulwark prove,To guard my soul from every ill,Secur'd by sovereign love.
6 Lord, where shall guilty souls retire,Forgotten and unknown?In hell they meet thy dreadful fire,In heaven thy glorious throne.
7 Should I suppress my vital breathTo 'scape the wrath divine,Thy voice would break the bars of death,And make the grave resign.
8 If wing'd with beams of morning light,I fly beyond the west,Thy hand, which must support my flight,Would soon betray my rest.
9 If o'er my sins I think to drawThe curtains of the night,Those flaming eyes that guard thy lawWould turn the shades to light.
10 The beams of noon, the midnight hour,Are both alike to thee:O may I ne'er provoke that powerFrom which I cannot flee!
Psalm 139:5. Second Part. C. M.The wisdom of God in the formation of man.
1 When I with pleasing wonder stand,And all my frame survey,Lord, 'tis thy work; I own thy handThus built my humble clay.
2 Thy hand my heart and reins possestWhere unborn nature grew,Thy wisdom all my features trac'd,And all my members drew.
3 Thine eye with nicest care survey'dThe growth of every part;Till the whole scheme thy thoughts had laidWas copied by thy art.
4 Heaven, earth, and sea, and fire, and wind,Shew me thy wondrous skill;But I review myself, and findDiviner wonders still.
5 Thy awful glories round me shine,My flesh proclaims thy praise;Lord, to thy works of nature joinThy miracles of grace.
Psalm 139:6. 14 17 18. Third Part. C. M.The mercies of God innumerable.
An evening psalm.
1 Lord, when I count thy mercies o'er,They strike me with surprise;Not all the sands that spread the shoreTo equal numbers rise.
2 My flesh with fear and wonder stands,The product of thy skill,And hourly blessings from thy hands,Thy thoughts of love reveal.
3 These on my heart by night I keep;How kind, how dear to me!O may the hour that ends my sleepStill find my thoughts with thee.
Psalm 141. 2-5.Watchfulness, and brotherly reproof.
A morning or evening psalm.
1 My God, accept my early vows,Like morning incense in thine house,And let my nightly worship riseSweet as the evening sacrifice.
2 Watch o'er my lips, and guard them, Lord,From every rash and heedless word;Nor let my feet incline to treadThe guilty path where sinners lead.
3 O may the righteous, when I stray,Smite, and reprove my wandering way!Their gentle words, like ointment shed,Shall never bruise, but cheer my head.
4 When I behold them prest with grief, I'll cry to heaven for their relief; And by my warm petitions prove how much I prize their faithful love.
Psalm 142.God is the hope of the helpless.
1 To God I made my sorrows known,From God I sought relief;In long complaints before his throneI pour'd out all my grief.
2 My soul was overwhelm'd with woes,My heart began to break;My God, who all my burdens knows,He knows the way I take.
3 On every side I cast mine eye,And found my helpers gone,While friends and strangers pass'd me byNeglected or unknown.
4 Then did I raise a louder cry,And call'd thy mercy near,"Thou art my portion when I die,"Be thou my refuge here."
5 Lord, I am brought exceeding low,Now let thine ear attend,And make my foes who vex me knowI've an almighty Friend.
6 From my sad prison set me free,Then shall I praise thy Name,And holy men shall join with meThy kindness to proclaim.
Psalm 143.Complaint of heavy afflictions in mind and body.
1 My righteous Judge, my gracious God,Hear when I spread my hands abroadAnd cry for succour from thy throne,O make thy truth and mercy known.
2 Let judgment not against me pass;Behold thy servant pleads thy grace:Should justice call us to thy bar,No man alive is guiltless there.
3 Look down in pity, Lord, and seeThe mighty woes that burden me;Down to the dust my life is brought,Like one long bury'd and forgot.
4 I dwell in darkness and unseen,My heart is desolate within;My thoughts in musing silence traceThe ancient wonders of thy grace.
5 Thence I derive a glimpse of hopeTo bear my sinking spirits up;I stretch my hands to God again,And thirst like parched lands for rain.
6 For thee I thirst, I pray, I mourn;When will thy smiling face return?Shall all my joys on earth remove?And God for ever hide his love?
7 My God, thy long delay to saveWill sink thy prisoner to the grave;My heart grows faint, and dim mine eye;Make haste to help before I die.
8 The night is witness to my tears,Distressing pains, distressing fears;O might I hear thy morning voice,How would my weary'd powers rejoice!
9 In thee I trust, to thee I sigh,And lift my heavy soul on high,For thee sit waiting all the day,And wear the tiresome hours away.
10 Break off my fetters, Lord, and showWhich is the path my feet should go;If snares and foes beset the road,I flee to hide me near my God.
11 Teach me to do thy holy will,And lead me to thy heavenly hill;Let the good Spirit of thy loveConduct me to thy courts above.
12 Then shall my soul no more complain,The tempter then shall rage in vain;And flesh that was my foe before,Shall never vex my spirit more.
Psalm 144:1. 1 2. First Part.Assistance and victory in the spiritual warfare.
1 For ever blessed be the Lord,My Saviour and my shield;He sends his Spirit with his wordTo arm me for the field.
2 When sin and hell their force unite,He makes my soul his care,Instructs me to the heavenly fight,And guards me thro' the war.
3 A friend and helper so divineDoth my weak courage raise;He makes the glorious victory mine,And his shall be the praise.
Psalm 144:2. 3 4 5 6. Second Part.The vanity of man, and condescension of God.
1 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.
2 O what is feeble dying manOr any of his race,That God should make it his concernTo visit him with grace!
3 That God who darts his lightnings down,Who shakes the worlds above,And mountains tremble at his frown,How wondrous is his love.
Psalm 144:3. 12-15. Third Part.Grace above riches; or, The happy nation.
1 Happy the city, where their sonsLike pillars round a palace set,And daughters bright as polish'd stonesGive strength and beauty to the state.
2 Happy the country, where the sheep,Cattle, and corn, have large increase;Where men securely work or sleep,Nor sons of plunder break the peace.
3 Happy the nation thus endow'd,But more divinely blest are thoseOn whom the all-sufficient GodHimself with all his grace bestows.
Psalm 145:1. L. M.The greatness of God.
1 My God, my King, thy various praiseShall fill the remnant of my days;Thy grace employ my humble tongueTill death and glory raise the song.
2 The wings of every hour shall bearSome thankful tribute to thine ear;And every setting sun shall seeNew works of duty done for thee.
3 Thy truth and justice I'll proclaim;Thy bounty flows, an endless stream,Thy mercy swift, thine anger slow,But dreadful to the stubborn foe.
4 Thy works with sovereign glory shine,And speak thy majesty divine;Let Britain round her shores proclaimThe sound and honour of thy Name.
5 Let distant times and nations raiseThe long succession of thy praise;And unborn ages make my songThe joy and labour of their tongue.
6 But who can speak thy wondrous deeds?Thy greatness all our thoughts exceeds!Vast and unsearchable thy ways!Vast and immortal be thy praise!
Psalm 145:2. 1-7 11-13. First Part.The greatness of God.
1 Long as I live I'll bless thy Name,My King, my God of love;My work and joy shall be the sameIn the bright world above.
2 Great is the Lord, his power unknown,And let his praise be great:I'll sing the honours of thy throne,Thy works of grace repeat.
3 Thy grace shall dwell upon my tongue;And while my lips rejoice,The men that hear my sacred songShall join their cheerful voice.
4 Fathers to Sons shall teach thy Name,And children learn thy ways;Ages to come thy truth proclaim,And nations sound thy praise.
5 Thy glorious deeds of ancient dateShall thro' the world be known;Thine arm of power, thy heavenly state,With public splendor shown.
6 The world is manag'd by thy hands,Thy saints are rul'd by love;And thine eternal kingdom stands,Tho' rocks and hills remove.
Psalm 145:3. 7 &c. Second Part.The goodness of God.
1 Sweet is the memory of thy grace,My God, my heavenly king;Let age to age thy righteousnessIn sounds of glory sing.
2 God reigns on high, but not confinesHis goodness to the skies;Thro' the whole earth his bounty shines,And every want supplies.
3 With longing eyes thy creatures waitOn thee for daily food,Thy liberal hand provides their meatAnd fills their mouths with good.
4 How kind are thy compassions, Lord!How slow thine anger moves!But soon he sends his pardoning wordTo cheer the souls he loves.
5 Creatures, with all their endless race,Thy power and praise proclaim;But saints that taste thy richer graceDelight to bless thy Name.
Psalm 145:4. 14 17 &c. Third Part.Mercy to sufferers; or, God hearing prayer.
1 Let every tongue thy goodness speak,Thou sovereign Lord of all;Thy strengthening hands uphold the weak,And raise the poor that fall.
2 When sorrow bows the spirit down,Or virtue lies distrestBeneath some proud oppressor's frown,Thou giv'st the mourners rest.
3 The Lord supports our tottering days,And guides our giddy youth;Holy and just are all his ways,And all his words are truth.
4 He knows the pains his servants feel,He hears his children cry,And their best wishes to fulfilHis grace is ever nigh.
5 His mercy never shall removeFrom men of heart sincere;He saves the souls whose humble loveIs join'd with holy fear.
6 [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."]
7 [My lips shall dwell upon his praise,And spread his fame abroad;Let all the sons of Adam raiseThe honours of their God.]
Psalm 146:1. L. M.Praise to God for his goodness and truth.
1 Praise ye the Lord, my heart shall joinIn work so pleasant, so divine,Now, while the flesh is mine abode,And when my soul ascends to God.
2 Praise shall employ my noblest powers,While immortality endures;My days of praise shall ne'er be past,While life and thought and being last.
3 Why should I make a man my trust?Princes must die and turn to dust;Their breath departs, their pomp and powerAnd thoughts, all vanish in an hour.
4 Happy the man whose hopes relyOn Israel's God: he made the sky,And earth and seas with all their train,And none shall find his promise vain.
5 His truth for ever stands secure;He saves th' opprest, he feeds the poor;He sends the labouring conscience peace,And grants the prisoner sweet release.
6 The Lord hath eyes to give the blind;The Lord supports the sinking mind;He helps the stranger in distress,The widow and the fatherless.
7 He loves his saints, he knows them well,But turns the wicked down to hell:Thy God, O Zion, ever reigns;Praise him in everlasting strains.
Psalm 146:2. As the 113th Psalm.Praise to God for his goodness and truth.
1 I'll praise my Maker with my breath;And when my voice is lost in deathPraise shall employ my nobler powers:My days of praise shall ne'er he pastWhile life and thought and being last,Or immortality endures.
2 Why should I make a man my trust?Princes must die and turn to dust;Vain is the help of flesh and blood:Their breath departs, their pomp and power,And thoughts all vanish in an hour,Nor can they make their promise good.
3 Happy the man whose hopes relyOn Israel's God: he made the sky,And earth and seas with all their train;His truth for ever stands secure;He saves th' opprest, he feeds the poor,And none shall find his promise vain.
4 The Lord hath eyes to give the blind;The Lord supports the sinking mind;He sends the labouring conscience peace:He helps the stranger in distress,The widow and the fatherless,And grants the prisoner sweet release.
5 He loves his saints; he knows them well,But turns the wicked down to hell;Thy God, O Zion, ever reigns:Let every tongue, let every age,In this exalted work engage;Praise him in everlasting strains.
6 I'll praise him while he lends me breath,And when my voice is lost in deathPraise shall employ my nobler powers:My days of praise shall ne'er be pastWhile life and thought and being last,Or immortality endures.
Psalm 147:1. First Part.The divine nature, providence and grace.
1 Praise ye the Lord; 'tis good to raiseOur hearts and voices in his praise;His nature and his works inviteTo make this duty our delight.
2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem,And gathers nations to his Name:His mercy melts the stubborn soul,And makes the broken spirit whole.
3 He form'd the stars, those heavenly flames,He counts their numbers, calls their names:His wisdom's vast, and knows no bound,A deep where all our thoughts are drown'd.
4 Great is our Lord, and great his might;And all his glories infinite:He crowns the meek, rewards the just,And treads the wicked to the dust.
5 Sing to the Lord, exalt him high,Who spreads his cloud all round the sky,There he prepares the fruitful rain,Nor lets the drops descend in vain.
6 He makes the grass the hills adorn,And clothes the smiling fields with corn,The beasts with food his hands supply,And the young ravens when they cry.
7 What is the creature's skill or force,The sprightly man, the warlike horse,The nimble wit, the active limb?All are too mean delights for him.
8 But saints are lovely in his sight;He views his children with delight:He sees their hope, he knows their fear,And looks and loves his image there.
Psalm 147:2. Second Part.Summer and winter.
A song for Great Britain.
1 O Britain, praise thy mighty God,And make his honours known abroad,He bid the ocean round thee flow;Not bars of brass could guard thee so.
2 Thy children are secure and blest;Thy shores have peace, thy cities rest;He feeds thy sons with finest wheat,And adds his blessing to their meat.
3 Thy changing season he ordains,Thine early and thy later rains:His flakes of snow like wool he sends,And thus the springing corn defends.
4 With hoary frost he strews the ground;His hail descends with clattering sound:Where is the man so vainly boldThat dares defy his dreadful cold?
5 He bids the southern breezes blow,The ice dissolves, the waters flow;But he hath nobler works and waysTo call the Britons to his praise.
6 To all the Isle his laws are shown,His gospel thro' the nation known;He hath not thus reveal'd his wordTo every land: Praise ye the Lord.
Psalm 147:3. 7-9 13-18. C. M.The seasons of the year.
1 With songs and honours sounding loudAddress the Lord on high;Over the heavens he spreads his cloud,And waters veil the sky.
2 He sends his showers of blessing downTo cheer the plains below;He makes the grass the mountains crown,And corn in vallies grow.
3 He gives the grazing ox his meat,He hears the ravens cry;But man, who tastes his finest wheat,Should raise his honours high.
4 His steady counsels change the faceOf the declining year;He bids the sun cut short his race,And wintry days appear.
5 His hoary frost, his fleecy snowDescend and clothe the ground;The liquid streams forbear to flow,In icy fetters bound.
6 When from his dreadful stores on highHe pours the rattling hail,The wretch that dares this God defyShall find his courage fail.
7 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.
8 The changing wind, the flying cloud,Obey his mighty word:With songs and honours sounding loud,Praise ye the sovereign Lord.
Psalm 148:1. P. M.Praise to God from all creatures.
1 Ye tribes of Adam, joinWith heaven, and earth, and seas,And offer notes divineTo your Creator's praise:Ye holy throngOf angels bright,In worlds of light,Begin the song.
2 Thou sun with dazzling rays,And moon that rules the night,Shine to your Maker's praise,With stars of twinkling light:His power declare,Ye floods on high,And clouds that flyIn empty air.
3 The shining worlds aboveIn glorious order stand,Or in swift courses moveBy his supreme command:He spake the word,And all their frameFrom nothing cameTo praise the Lord.
4 He mov'd their mighty wheelsIn unknown ages past,And each his word fulfilsWhile time and nature last:In different waysHis works proclaimHis wondrous Name,And speak his praise.
5 Let all the earth-born race,And monsters of the deep,The fish that cleave the seas,Or in their bosom sleep,From sea and shoreTheir tribute pay,And still displayTheir Maker's power.
6 Ye vapours, hail, and snow,Praise ye Th' almighty Lord,And stormy winds that blowTo execute his word:When lightnings shine,Or thunders roar,Let earth adoreHis hand divine.
7 Ye mountains near the skies,With lofty cedars there,And trees of humbler size,That fruit in plenty bear;Beasts wild and tame,Birds, flies, and worms,In various formsExalt his Name.
8 Ye kings and judges, fearThe Lord, the sovereign King;And while you rule us here,His heavenly honours sing:Nor let the dreamOf power and stateMake you forgetHis power supreme.
9 Virgins, and youths, engageTo sound his praise divine,While infancy and ageTheir feebler voices join:Wide as he reignsHis Name be sungBy every tongueIn endless strains.
10 Let all the nations fearThe God that rules above;He brings his people near,And makes them taste his love:While earth and skyAttempt his praise,His saints shall raiseHis honours high.
Psalm 148:2. Paraphrased. L. M.Universal praise to God.
1 Loud hallelujahs to the Lord,From distant worlds where creatures dwell:Let heaven begin the solemn word,And sound it dreadful down to hell.
Note. This psalm may be sung to the tune of the old 112th or 127th Psalm, if these two lines be added to every stanza, viz.
Each of his works his Name displays,But they can ne'er fulfil the praise.
Otherwise it must be sung to the usual tunes of the Long Metre.
2 The Lord! how absolute he reigns!Let every angel bend the knee;Sing of his love in heavenly strains,And speak how fierce his terrors be.
3 High on a throne his glories dwell,An awful throne of shining bliss:Fly thro' the world, O sun, and tellHow dark thy beams compar'd to his.
4 Awake, ye tempests, and his fameIn sounds of dreadful praise declare;And the sweet whisper of his NameFill every gentler breeze of air.
5 Let clouds, and winds, and waves agreeTo join their praise with blazing fire;Let the firm earth, and rolling sea,In this eternal song conspire.
6 Ye flowery plains, proclaim his skill;Vallies, lie low before his eye;And let his praise from every hillRise tuneful to the neighbouring sky.
7 Ye stubborn oaks, and stately pines,Bend your high branches and adore:Praise him, ye beasts, in different strains;The lamb must bleat, the lion roar.
8 Birds, ye must make his praise your theme,Nature demands a song from you;While the dumb fish that cut the streamLeap up, and mean his praises too.
9 Mortals, can you refrain your tongue,When nature all around you sings?O for a shout from old and young,From humble swains, and lofty kings!
10 Wide as his vast dominion liesMake the Creator's name be known;Loud as his thunder shout his praise,And sound it lofty as his throne.
11 Jehovah! 'tis a glorious word,O may it dwell on every tongue!But saints who best have known the LordAre bound to raise the noblest song.
12 Speak of the wonders of that loveWhich Gabriel plays on every chord:From all below and all above,Loud hallelujahs to the Lord!
Psalm 148:3. S. M.Universal praise.
1 Let every creature joinTo praise th' eternal God;Ye heavenly hosts, the song begin,And sound his Name abroad.
2 Thou sun with golden beams,And moon with paler rays;Ye starry lights, ye twinkling flames,Shine to your Maker's praise.
3 He built those worlds above,And fix'd their wondrous frame;By his command they stand or move,And ever speak his Name.
4 Ye vapours, when ye rise,Or fall in showers, or snow,Ye thunders, murmuring round the skies,His power and glory show.
5 Wind, hail, and flashing fire,Agree to praise the Lord,When ye in dreadful storms conspireTo execute his word.
6 By all his works aboveHis honours be exprest;But saints that taste his saving loveShould sing his praises best.
7 Let earth and ocean knowThey owe their Maker praise;Praise him, ye watery worlds below,And monsters of the seas.
8 From mountains near the skyLet his high praise resound,From humble shrubs and cedars high,And vales and fields around.
9 Ye lions of the wood,And tamer beasts that graze,Ye live upon his daily food,And he expects your praise.
10 Ye birds of lofty wing,On high his praises bear;Or sit on flowery boughs, and singYour Maker's glory there.
11 Ye creeping ants and worms,His various wisdom show,And flies, in all your shining swarms,Praise him that drest you so.
12 By all the earth-born raceHis honours be exprest;But saints that know his heavenly graceShould learn to praise him best.
13 Monarchs of wide command,Praise ye th' eternal King;Judges, adore that sovereign handWhence all your honours spring.
14 Let vigorous youth engageTo sound his praises high;While growing babes, and withering age,Their feebler voices try.
15 United zeal be shown,His wondrous fame to raise;God is the Lord: his name aloneDeserves our endless praise.
16 Let nature join with art,And all pronounce him blest;But saints that dwell so near his heart,Should sing his praises best.
Psalm 149.Praise God, all his saints; or,The saints judging the world.
1 All ye that love the Lord, rejoice,And let your songs be new;Amidst the church with cheerful voiceHis later wonders shew.
2 The Jews, the people of his grace,Shall their Redeemer sing;And Gentile nations join the praise,While Zion owns her King.
3 The Lord takes pleasure in the just,Whom sinners treat with scorn;The meek that lie despis'd in dustSalvation shall adorn.
4 Saints should be joyful in their King,Ev'n on a dying bed;And like the souls in glory sing,For God shall raise the dead.
5 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.
6 When Christ his judgment-seat ascends,And bids the world appear,Thrones are prepar'd for all his friends,Who humbly lov'd him here.
7 Then shall they rule with iron rodNations that dar'd rebel;And join the sentence of their GodOn tyrants doom'd to hell.
8 The royal sinners bound in chainsNew triumphs shall afford;Such honour for the saints remains:Praise ye, and love the Lord.
Psalm 150. 1 2 6.
A song of praise.
1 In God's own house pronounce his praise,His grace he there reveals;To heaven your joy and wonder raise,For there his glory dwells.
2 Let all your sacred passions move,While you rehearse his deeds;But the great work of saving loveYour highest praise exceeds.
3 All that have motion, life, and breath,Proclaim your Maker blest;Yet when my voice expires in death,My soul shall praise him best.
Doxology.
The Christian Doxology.
Long Metre.
To God the Father, God the Son,And God the Spirit, Three in One,Be honour, praise, and glory given,By all on earth, and all in heaven.
Common Metre.
Let God the Father, and the Son,And Spirit be ador'd,Where there are works to make him known,Or saints to love the Lord.
Common Metre.
Where the tune includes two stanzas.
1 The God of mercy be ador'd,Who calls our souls from death,Who saves by his redeeming word,And new-creating breath.
2 To praise the Father and the SonAnd Spirit all divine,The One in Three, and Three in One,Let saints and angels join.
Short Metre.
Ye angels round the throne,And saints that dwell below,Worship the Father, love the Son,And bless the Spirit too.
As the 113th Psalm.
Now to the great and sacred Three,The Father, Son, and Spirit beEternal praise and glory given,Thro' all the worlds where God is known,By all the angels near the throne,And all the saints in earth and heaven.
As the 148th Psalm.
To God the Father's thronePerpetual honours raise,Glory to God the Son,To God the Spirit praise:With all our powers,Eternal King,Thy Name we sing,While faith adores.