Hush, my dear, lie still and slumber; Holy angels guard thy bed; Heavenly blessings without number Gently falling on thy head. Sleep, my babe, thy food and raiment, House and home, thy friends provide; All without thy care, or payment, All thy wants are well supplied. How much better thou’rt attended Than the Son of […]

Psalm 95:1. C. M.A psalm before prayer. 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 honour 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 […]

Psalm 95:2. S. M.A psalm before sermon. Come, sound his praise abroad,And hymns of glory sing;Jehovah is the sovereign God,The universal King. He form’d the deeps unknown;He gave the seas their bound;The watery worlds are all his own,And all the solid ground. Come, worship at his throne,Come bow before the Lord:We are his works and […]

Psalm 95:3. 1 2 3 6-11. L. M.Canaan lost through unbelief; or,A warning to delaying sinners. Come, let our voices join to raiseA sacred song of solemn praise;God is a sovereign King; rehearsehis honours in exalted verse. Come, let our souls address the Lord,Who fram’d our natures with his word;He is our Shepherd; we the […]

Psalm 96:1. 1-10. etc. C. M.Christ’s first and second coming. Sing to the Lord, ye distant lands,Ye tribes of every tongue;His new discover’d grace demandsA 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 heaven proclaim the joyful day,Joy thro’ the […]

Psalm 96:2. As the 113th PsalmThe God of the Gentiles. Let all the earth their voices raiseTo sing the choicest psalm of praise,To sing and bless Jehovah’s name:His glory let the heathens know,His wonders to the nations show,And all his saving works proclaim. The heathens know thy glory, Lord;The wondering nations read thy word,In Britain […]

Psalm 97:1. 1-5. First Part.Christ reigning in heaven, and coming to judgment. He reigns; the Lord, the Saviour reigns;Praise him in evangelic strains;Let the whole earth in songs rejoice,And distant islands join their voice. Deep are his counsels and unknown;But grace and truth support his throne:Tho’ gloomy clouds his ways surround,Justice is their eternal ground. […]

Psalm 97:2. 6-9. Second Part.Christ’s incarnation. The Lord is come, the heavens proclaimHis birth; the nations learn his Name;An unknown star directs the roadOf eastern sages to their God. All ye bright armies of the skies,Go, worship where the Saviour lies:Angels and kings before him bow,Those gods on high, and gods below. Let idols totter […]

Grace and glory. Th’ Almighty reigns exalted highO’er all the earth, o’er all the sky,Tho’ clouds and darkness veil his feet,His dwelling is the mercy-seat. O ye that love his holy Name,Hate every work of sin and shame;He guards the souls of all his friends,And from the snares of hell defends. Immortal light and joys […]

Psalm 97:4. 1 3 5-7 11. C. M.Christ’s incarnation, and the last judgment. Ye islands of the northern sea,Rejoice, the Saviour reigns;His word like fire, prepares his way,And mountains melt to plains. His presence sinks the proudest hills,And makes the vallies riseThe humble soul enjoys his smiles,The haughty sinner dies. The heavens his rightful power […]

Praise for the gospel. To our almighty Maker, God,New honours be address’d;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 proclaimWith all her different tongues;And spread the honours of […]

The Messiah’s coming and kingdom. Joy to the world; the Lord is come;Let earth receive her King;Let every heart prepare him room,And heaven and nature sing. Joy to the earth, the Saviour 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 […]

Christ’s kingdom and majesty. The God Jehovah reigns,Let all the nations fear,Let sinners tremble at his throne,And saints be humble there. Jesus the Saviour reigns,Let earth adore its Lord;Bright cherubs his attendants stand,Swift to fulfil his word. In Zion is his throne,His honours are divine;His church shall make his wonders known,For there his glories shine. […]

A holy God worshipped with reverence. Exalt the Lord our God,And worship at his feet;His nature is all holiness,And mercy is his seat. When Israel was his church,When Aaron was his priest,When Moses cry’d, when Samuel pray’d,He gave his people rest. Oft he forgave their sins,Nor would destroy their race;And oft he made his vengeance […]

Psalm 100:1. 1st M. a Plain TranslationPraise to our Creator. Ye nations round the earth rejoiceBefore the Lord, your sovereign King;Serve him with cheerful heart and voice,With all your tongues his glory sing. The Lord is God; ’tis he aloneDoth life, and breath, and being give:We are his work, and not our own;The sheep that […]

Psalm 100:2. 2d M. a Paraphrase Sing to the Lord with joyful voice;Let every land his name adore;The British isles shall send the noiseAcross the ocean to the shore. Nations, attend before his throneWith solemn fear, with sacred joy;Know that the Lord is God alone;He can create, and he destroy. His sovereign power, without our […]

Psalm 101:1. L. M.The Magistrate’s psalm. Mercy and judgment are my song;And since they both to thee belong,My gracious God, my righteous King,To thee my songs and vows I bring. If I am rais’d to bear the sword,I’ll take my counsels from thy word;Thy justice and thy heavenly graceShall be the pattern of my ways. […]

Psalm 101:2. C. M.A psalm for a master of a family. Of justice and of grace I sing,And pay my God my vows;Thy grace and justice, heavenly 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 thereThat shall offend thine eyes. The man […]

Psalm 102:1. 1-13 20 21. First PartA prayer of the afflicted. Hear me, O God, nor hide thy face,But answer lest I die;Hast thou not built a throne of graceTo hear when sinners cry? My days are wasted like the smokeDissolving in the air;My strength is dry’d, my heart is broke,And sinking in despair. My […]

Psalm 102:2. 13-21. Second PartPrayer heard and Zion restored. Let Zion and her sons rejoice,Behold the promis’d hour;Her God hath heard her mourning voice,And comes t’ exalt his power. Her dust and ruins that remainAre precious in our eyes;Those ruins shall be built again,And all that dust shall rise. The Lord will raise Jerusalem,And stand […]

Psalm 102:3. 25-28. Third PartMan’s mortality and Christ’s eternity; or,Saints die, but Christ and the church live. It is the Lord our Saviour’s handWeakens our strength amidst the race;Disease and death at his commandArrest us, and cut short our days. Spare us, O Lord, aloud we pray,Nor let our sun go down at noon:Thy years […]

Psalm 103:1. 1-7. First Part. L. M.Blessing God for his goodness to soul and body. Bless, O my soul, the living God,Call home thy thoughts that rove abroad;Let all the powers within me joinIn work and worship so divine. Bless, O my soul, the God of grace;His favours claim thy highest praise;Why should the wonders […]

Psalm 103:2. 8-18. Second Part. L. M.God’s gentle chastisement; or,His tender mercy to his people. The Lord, how wondrous are his ways:How firm his truth how large his grace;He takes his mercy for his throne,And thence he makes his glories known. Not half so high his power hath spreadThe starry heavens above our head,As his […]

Psalm 103:3. 1-7. First Part, S. M.Praise for spiritual and temporal mercies. O Bless the Lord, my soul;Let all within me join,And aid my tongue to bless his Name,Whose favours are divine. O bless the Lord, my soul;Nor let his mercies lieForgotten in unthankfulness,And without praises die. ‘Tis he forgives thy sins,‘Tis he relieves thy […]

Psalm 103:4. 8-18. Second Part. S. M.Abounding compassion of God; or,Mercy in the midst of judgment. My soul, repeat his praiseWhose mercies are so great,Whose anger is so slow to rise,So ready to abate. God will not always chide;And when his strokes are felt,His strokes are fewer than our crimes,And lighter than our guilt. High […]

Psalm 103:5. 19-22. Third Part. S. M.God’s universal dominion;or, Angels praise the Lord. The lord, the sovereign King,Hath fix’d his throne on high;O’er all the heavenly world he rules,And all beneath the sky. Ye angels great in might,And swift to do his will,Bless ye the Lord, whose voice ye hear,Whose pleasure ye fulfil. Let the […]

The glory of God in creation and providence. My soul, thy great Creator praise;When cloth’d in his celestial raysHe in full Majesty appears,And, like a robe, his glory wears. [Note, This psalm may be sung to the tune of the old 112th or 127th Psalm, by adding the two following lines to every stanza, viz. […]

Psalm 105. AbridgedGod’s conduct of Israel, and the plagues of Egypt. Give thanks to God, invoke his Name,And tell the world his grace;Sound thro’ the earth his deeds of fame,That all may seek his face. His covenant, which he kept in mindFor numerous ages past,To numerous ages yet behind,In equal force shall last. He sware […]

Psalm 106:1. 1-5. First PartPraise to God; or, Communion with saints. To God, the great, the ever blest,Let songs of honour be addrest:His mercy firm for ever stands;Give him the thanks his love demands. Who knows the wonders of thy ways?Who shall fulfil thy boundless praise?Blest are the souls that fear thee still,And pay their […]

Psalm 106:2. 7 8 12-14 43-48. 2d PartIsrael punished and pardoned;or, God’s unchangeable love. God of eternal love,How fickle are our ways!And yet how oft did Israel proveThy constancy of grace! They saw thy wonders wrought,And then thy praise they sung;But soon thy works of power forgot,And murmur’d with their tongue. Now they believe his […]

Israel led to Canaan,and Christians to Heaven. Give thanks to God; he reigns above,Kind are his thoughts, his Name is love;His mercy ages past have known,And ages long to come shall own. Let the redeemed of the LordThe wonders of his grace record;Israel, the nation whom he chose,And rescu’d from their mighty foes. [When God’s […]

Correction for sin, and release by prayer. From age to age exalt his Name,God and his grace are still the same;He fills the hungry soul with food,And feeds the poor with every good. But if their hearts rebel and riseAgainst the God that rules the skies,If they reject his heavenly word,And slight the counsels of […]

Intemperance punished and pardoned; or,A psalm for the glutton and the drunkard. Vain man, on foolish pleasures bent,Prepares for his own punishment;What pains, what loathsome maladiesFrom luxury and lust arise! The drunkard feels his vitals waste,Yet drowns his health to please his taste;Till all his active powers are lost,And fainting life draws near the dust. […]

Deliverance from storms, andshipwreck; or, The Seaman’s song. Would you behold the works of God,His wonders in the world abroad,Go with the mariners, and traceThe unknown regions of the seas. They leave their native shores behind,And seize the favour of the wind,Till God command, and tempests riseThat heave the ocean to the skies. Now to […]

Psalm 107:5. Fourth Part. C. M.The Mariner’s psalm. Thy works of glory, mighty Lord,Thy wonders in the deeps,The sons of courage shall recordWho trade in floating ships. At thy command the winds arise,And swell the towering waves;The men astonish’d mount the skiesAnd sink in gaping graves. [Again they climb the watery hills,And plunge in deeps […]

Colonies planted; or,Nations blest and punished.A psalm for New England. When God, provok’d with daring crimes,Scourges the madness of the times,He turns their fields to barren sand,And dries the rivers from the land. His word can raise the springs again,And make the wither’d mountains green,Send showery blessings from the skies,And harvests in the desert rise. […]

Psalm 109. 1-5 31.Love to enemies, from the example of Christ. God of my mercy and my praise,Thy glory is my song;The sinners speak against thy graceWith a blaspheming tongue. When in the form of mortal manThy Son on earth was found,With cruel slanders, false and vain,They compass’d him around. Their miseries his compassion move,Their […]

Christ exalted, and multitudes converted;or, The success of the gospel. Thus the eternal Father spakeTo Christ the Son, “Ascend and sit“At my right hand, till I shall make“Thy foes submissive at thy feet. “From Zion shall thy word proceed,“Thy word, the sceptre in thy hand,“Shall make the hearts of rebels bleed,“And bow their wills to […]

The kingdom and priesthood of Christ. Thus the great Lord of earth and seaSpake to his Son, and thus he swore;“Eternal shall thy priesthood be,“And change from hand to hand no more. “Aaron and all his sons must die;“But everlasting life is thine,“To save for ever those that fly“For refuge from the wrath divine. “By […]

Psalm 110:3. C. M.Christ’s kingdom and priesthood. 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 surpassThe numerous drops of morning dew,And own thy sovereign grace. God hath pronounc’d a firm decree,Nor changes what he swore;“Eternal […]

The wisdom of God in his works. Songs of immortal praise belongTo my almighty God;He has my heart, and he my tongueTo spread his Name abroad. How great the works his hand has wrought!How glorious in our sight!And men in every age have soughtHis wonders with delight. How most exact is nature’s frame!How wise th’ […]

The perfections of God. Great is the Lord; his works of mightDemand our noblest songs;Let his assembled saints uniteTheir 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, cameTo seal his covenant sure:Holy and reverend is […]

The blessings of the liberal man. That man is blest who stands in aweOf God, and loves his sacred law:His seed on earth shall be renown’d;His house the seat of wealth shall be,An inexhausted treasury,And with successive honours crown’d. His liberal favours he extends,To some he gives, to others lends;A generous pity fills his mind:Yet […]

Psalm 112:2. L. M.The blessings of the pious and charitable. Thrice happy man who fears the Lord,Loves his commands, and trusts his word;Honour and peace his days attend,And blessings to his seed descend. Compassion dwells upon his mind,To works of mercy still inclin’d:He lends the poor some present aid,Or gives them, not to be repaid. […]

Psalm 112:3. C. M.Liberality rewarded. Happy is he that fears the Lord,And follows his commands,Who lends the poor without reward,Or gives with liberal hands. As pity dwells within his breastTo all the sons of need;So God shall answer his requestWith blessings on his seed, No evil tidings shall surpriseHis well-establish’d mind;His soul to God his […]

Psalm 113:1. Proper TimeThe majesty and condescension of God. Ye that delight to serve the Lord,The honours of his Name record,His sacred Name for ever bless:Where’er the circling sun displaysHis rising beams, or setting rays,Let lands and seas his power confess. Not time, nor nature’s narrow rounds,Can give his vast dominion bounds,The heavens are far […]

Psalm 113:2. L. M.God sovereign and gracious. Ye servants of th’ Almighty King,In every age his praises sing;Where’er the sun shall rise or set,The nations shall his praise repeat. Above the earth, beyond the sky,Stands his high throne of majesty:Nor time, nor place, his power restrain,Nor bound his universal reign. Which of the sons of […]

Miracles attending Israel’s journey. When Israel, freed from Pharaoh’s hand,Left the proud tyrant and his land,The tribes with cheerful homage ownTheir King, and Judah was his throne. Across the deep their journey lay;The deep divides to make them way:Jordan beheld their march, and fledWith backward current to his head. The mountains shook like frighted sheep,Like […]

Psalm 115:1. First MetreThe true God our refuge;or, Idolatry reproved. Not to ourselves, who are but dust,Not to ourselves is glory due,Eternal God, thou only just,Thou only gracious, wise, and true. Shine forth in all thy dreadful Name;Why should a heathen’s haughty tongueInsult us, and to raise our shameSay, “Where’s the God you’ve serv’d so […]

As the new tune of the 50th Psalm.Popish idolatry reproved.A psalm for the 5th of November. Not to our names, thou only Just and True,Not to our worthless names is glory due;Thy power and grace, thy truth and justice claimImmortal honours to thy sovereign Name:Shine thro’ the earth from heaven, thy blest abode,Nor let the […]

Recovery from sickness. I love the Lord; he heard my cries,And pity’d every groan:Long as I live, when troubles rise,I’ll hasten to his throne. I love the Lord; he bow’d his ear,And chas’d my griefs away;O let my heart no more despair,While I have breath to pray! My flesh declin’d, my spirits fell,And I drew […]

Psalm 116:2. 12 etc. Second PartVows made in trouble paid in the church;or, Public thanks for private deliverance. What shall I render to my GodFor all his kindness shown?My feet shall visit thine abode,My songs address thy throne. Among the saints that fill thine house,My offerings shall be paid;There shall my zeal perform the vowsMy […]

Psalm 117:1. C. M.Praise to God from all nations. O all ye nations, praise the Lord,Each with a different tongue;In every language learn his word,And let his Name be sung. His mercy reigns thro’ every land;Proclaim his grace abroad;For ever firm his truth shall stand,Praise ye the faithful God.

Psalm 117:2. L. M. From all that dwell below the skies,Let the Creator’s praise arise!Let the Redeemer’s name be sungThro’ every land, by every tongue. Eternal are thy mercies, Lord;Eternal truth attends thy word:Thy praise shall sound from shore to shore,Till suns shall rise and set no more.

Psalm 117:3. S. M. Thy Name, almighty Lord,Shall sound thro’ distant lands;Great is thy grace, and sure thy word,Thy truth for ever stands. Far be thine honour spread,And long thy praise endure,Till morning light and evening shadeShall be exchang’d no more.

Psalm 118:1. 6-15. First PartDeliverance from a tumult. The Lord appears my helper now,Nor is my faith afraidWhat all the sons of earth can do,Since heaven 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 […]

Psalm 118:2. 17-21. Second PartPublic praise for deliverance from death. Lord, thou hast heard thy servant cry,And rescu’d from the grave;Now shall he live: (and none can dieIf God resolve to save.) Thy praise, more constant than before,Shall fill his daily breath;Thy hand that hath chastis’d him sore,Defends him still from death. Open the gates […]

Psalm 118:3. 22 23. Third PartChrist the foundation of his church. Behold the sure foundation-stoneWhich God in Zion laysTo build our heavenly 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 […]

Psalm 118:4. 24 25 26. Fourth PartHosanna; the Lord’s day; or, Christ’sresurrection and our salvation. This is the day the Lord hath made,He calls the hours his own;Let heaven rejoice, let earth be glad,And praise surround the throne. To-day he rose and left the dead,And Satan’s empire fell;To-day the saints his triumphs spread,And all his […]

Psalm 118:5. 22-27. S. M.An hosanna for the Lord’s day; or,A new song of salvation by Christ. See what a living-stoneThe builders did refuse;Yet God hath built his church thereonIn spite of envious Jews. The scribe and angry priestReject thine only Son;Yet on this rock shall Zion rest,As the chief corner-stone. The work, O Lord, […]

Psalm 118:6. 22-27. L. M.An hosanna for the Lord’s day; or,A new song of salvation by Christ. Lo! what a glorious corner-stoneThe Jewish builders did refuse;But God hath built his church thereon,In spite of envy and the Jews. Great God, the work is all divine,The joy and wonder of our eyes;This is the day that […]

I have collected and disposed the most usefulverses of this psalm under eighteen different heads, andformed a divine song upon each of them. But the versesare much transposed to attain some degree of connection. In some places, among the words “law,” “commands,”“judgments,” “testimonies,” I have used “gospel,” “word,”“grace,” “truth,” “promises,” etc. as more agreeable to […]

The blessedness of saints, and misery of sinners.Ver. 1 2 3. Blest are the undefil’d in heart,Whose ways are right and clean;Who never from thy law depart,But fly front every sin. Blest are the men that keep thy word,And practise thy commands;With their whole heart they seek the Lord,And serve thee with their hands. Ver. […]

Secret devotion and spiritual mindedness;or, Constant converse with God. Ver. 147 55.1 TO thee, before the dawning light,My gracious God, I pray;I meditate thy Name by night,And keep thy law by day. Ver. 81.2 My spirit faints to see thy grace,Thy promise bears me up;And while salvation long delays,Thy word supports my hope. Ver. 164.3 […]

Profession: of sincerity, repentance, and obedience. Ver. 57 60.Thou art my portion, O my God;Soon as I know thy way,My heart makes haste t’ obey thy word,And suffers no delay. Ver. 30 14.I choose the path of heavenly truth,And glory in my choice:Not all the riches of the earthCould make me so rejoice. The testimonies […]

Instruction from scripture. Ver. 9.How shall the young secure their hearts,And guard their lives from sin?Thy word the choicest rules impartsTo keep the conscience clean. Ver. 130.When once it enters to the mind,It spreads such light abroad,The meanest souls instruction find,And raise their thoughts to God. Ver. 105.‘Tis like the sun, a heavenly light,That guides […]

Delight in scripture; or, Theword of God dwelling in us. Ver. 97.O How I love thy holy law!‘Tis daily my delight;And thence my meditations drawDivine advice by night. Ver. 148.My waking eyes prevent the dayTo meditate thy word;My soul with longing melts awayTo hear thy gospel, Lord. Ver. 3 13 54.How doth thy word my […]

Holiness and comfort from the word. Ver. 128.Lord, I esteem thy judgments right,And all thy statutes just;Thence I maintain a constant fightWith every flattering lust. Ver. 97 9.Thy precepts often I survey;I keep thy law in sight,Thro’ all the business of the day,To form my actions right. Ver. 62.My heart in midnight silence cries,“How sweet […]

Imperfection of nature,and perfection of scripture. Ver. 96. paraphrased.Let all the heathen writers joinTo form one perfect book,Great God, if once compar’d with thine,How mean their writings look! Not the most perfect rules they gaveCould shew one sin forgiven,Nor lead a step beyond the grave;But thine conduct to heaven. I’ve seen an end of what […]

The word of God is the saint’s portion; or,The excellency and variety of scripture. Ver. 111. paraphrased.Lord, I have made thy word my choice,My lasting heritage;There shall my noblest powers rejoice,My warmest thoughts engage. I’ll read the histories of thy love,And keep thy laws in sight,While thro’ the promises I rove,With ever fresh delight. ‘Tis […]

Desire of knowledge; or, Theteachings of the Spirit with the word. Ver. 64 66 18.Thy mercies fill the earth, O Lord,How good thy works appear!Open mine eyes to read thy word,And see thy wonders there. Ver. 73 125.My heart was fashion’d by thy hand,My service is thy due:O make thy servant understandThe duties he must […]

Pleading the promises. Ver. 38 49.Behold thy waiting servant, Lord,Devoted to thy fear;Remember and confirm thy word,For all my hopes are there. Ver. 41 58 107.Hast thou not writ salvation down,And promis’d quickening grace?Doth not my heart address thy throne?And yet thy love delays. Ver. 132 42.Mine eyes for thy salvation fail;O bear thy servant […]

Breathing after holiness. Ver. 5 33.O that the Lord would guide my waysTo keep his statutes still!O that my God would grant me graceTo know and do his will! Ver. 29.O send thy Spirit down to writeThy law upon my heart!Nor let my tongue indulge deceit,Nor act the liar’s part. Ver. 37 36.From vanity turn […]

Breathing after comfort and deliverance. Ver. 153.My God, consider my distress,Let mercy plead my cause;Tho’ I have sinn’d against thy grace,I can’t forget thy laws. Ver. 39 116.Forbid, forbid the sharp reproachWhich I so justly fear;Uphold my life, uphold my hopes,Nor let my shame appear. Ver. 122 135.Be thou a surety, Lord, for me,Nor let […]

Holy fear, and tenderness of conscience. Ver. 10.With my whole heart I’ve sought thy face,O let me never strayFrom thy commands, O God of grace,Nor tread the sinner’s way. Ver. 11.Thy word I’ve hid within my heartTo keep my conscience clean,And be an everlasting guardFrom every rising sin. Ver. 63 53 158.I’m a companion of […]

Benefit of afflictions, and support under them. Ver. 153 81 82.Consider all my sorrows, Lord,And thy deliverance send;My soul for thy salvation faints,When will my troubles end? Ver. 71.Yet I have found, ’tis good for meTo bear my Father’s rod;Afflictions make me learn thy law,And live upon my God. Ver. 50.This is the comfort I […]

Holy resolutions. Ver. 93.That thy statutes every hourMight dwell upon my mind!Thence I derive a quickening power,And daily peace I find. Ver. 15 16.To meditate thy precepts, Lord,Shall be my sweet employ;My soul shall ne’er forget thy word,Thy word is all my joy. Ver. 32.How would I run in thy commands,If thou my heart dischargeFrom […]

Prayer for quickening grace. Ver. 25 37.My soul lies cleaving to the dust;Lord, give me life divine;From vain desires and every lustTurn off these eyes of mine. I need the influence of thy graceTo speed me in thy way,Lest I should loiter in my race,Or turn my feet astray. Ver. 107.When sore afflictions press me […]

Sanctified afflictions; or,Delight in the word of God. Ver. 67 59.Father, I bless thy gentle hand;How kind was thy chastising rod,That forc’d my conscience to a stand,And brought my wandering soul to God! Foolish and vain I went astrayEre I had felt thy scourges, Lord,I left my guide, and lost my way;But now I love […]

Complaint of quarrelsome neighbours;or, A devout wish for peace. Thou God of love, thou ever blest,Pity my suffering state;When wilt thou set my soul at restFrom lips that love deceit? Hard lot of mine! my days are castAmong the sons of strife,Whose never-ceasing brawlings wasteMy golden hours of life. O might I fly to change […]

Psalm 121:1. L. M.Divine protection. Up to the hills I lift mine eyes,Th’ eternal hills beyond the skies;Thence all her help my soul derives;There my Almighty refuge lives. He lives, the everlasting God,That built the world, that spread the flood;The heavens with all their hosts he made,And the dark regions of the dead. He guides […]

Psalm 121:2. C. M.Preservation by day and night. To heaven I lift my waiting eyes,There all my hopes are laid:The Lord that built the earth and skiesIs my perpetual aid. Their feet shall never slide to fallWhom he designs to keep;His ear attends the softest call,His eyes can never sleep. He will sustain our weakest […]

God our preserver. Upward I lift mine eyes,From God is all my aid;The God that built the skies,And earth and nature made:God is the tow’rTo which I fly:His grace is nighIn every hour. My feet shall never slideAnd fall in fatal snares,Since God, my guard and guide,Defends me from my fears:Those wakeful eyesThat never sleepShall […]

Going to church. How did my heart rejoice to hearMy friends devoutly say,“In Zion let us all appear,“And keep the solemn day!” I love her gates, I love the road:The church adorn’d with graceStands like a palace built for God,To shew his milder face. Up to her courts with joys unknownThe holy tribes repair;The Son […]

Going to church. How pleas’d and blest was ITo hear the people cry,“Come, let us seek our God to-day!”Yes, with a cheerful zeal,We haste to Zion’s hill,And there our vows and honours pay. Zion, thrice happy place,Adorn’d with wondrous grace,And walls of strength embrace thee round;In thee our tribes appearTo pray, and praise, and hearThe […]

Pleading with submission. O thou whose grace and justice reignEnthron’d 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 feelThy discipline, O God;Yet wait […]

A song for the fifth of November. Had not the Lord, may Israel say,Had not the Lord maintain’d our side,When men to make our lives a prey,Rose like the swelling of the tide; The swelling tide had stopt our breath,So fiercely did the waters roll,We had been swallow’d deep in death;Proud waters had o’erwhelm’d our […]

Psalm 125:1 C. M.The saint’s trial and safely. Unshaken as the sacred hill,And firm as mountains be,Firm as a rock the soul shall restThat leans, O Lord, on thee. Not walls nor hills could guard so wellOld Salem’s happy ground,As those eternal arms of loveThat every saint surround. While tyrants are a smarting scourgeTo drive […]

Psalm 125:2. S. M.The saints’ trial and safety;or, Moderated afflictions. Firm and unmov’d are theyThat rest their souls on God;Firm as the mount where David dweltOr where the ark abode. As mountains stood to guardThe city’s sacred ground,So God and his almighty loveEmbrace his saints around. What tho’ the Father’s rodDrop a chastising stroke,Yet, lest […]

Psalm 126:1. L. M.Surprising deliverance. When God restor’d our captive state,Joy was our song, and grace our theme;The grace beyond our hopes so great,That joy appear’d a painted dream. The scoffer owns thy hand, and paysUnwilling honours to thy Name;While we with pleasure shout thy praise,With cheerful notes thy love proclaim. When we review our […]

Psalm 126:2. C. M.The joy of a remarkable conversion;or, Melancholy removed. When God reveal’d his gracious Name,And chang’d my mournful state,My rapture seem’d a pleasing dream,The grace appear’d 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 neighbours […]

Psalm 127:1. L. M.The blessing of God on thebusiness and comforts of life. If God succeed not, all the costAnd pains to build the house are lost:If God the city will not keep,The watchful guards as well may sleep. What if you rise before the sun,And work and toil when day is done,Careful and sparing […]

Psalm 127:2. C. M.God all in all. If God to build the house deny,The builders work in vain;And towns, without his wakeful eye,An useless watch maintain. Before the morning beams arise,Your painful work renew,And till the stars ascend the skiesYour tiresome toil pursue. Short be your sleep, and coarse your fare;In vain, till God has […]

Family blessings. O happy man, whose soul is fill’dWith zeal and reverend awe;His lips to God their honours yield,His life adorns the law. A careful providence shall standAnd ever guard thy head,Shall on the labours of thy handIts kindly blessings shed. [Thy wife shall be a fruitful vine;Thy children round thy board,Each like a plant […]

Persecutors punished. 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. 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. Their cruel plough had torn my fleshWith furrows long […]

Psalm 130:1. C. M.Pardoning grace. 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 GodFor crimes of high degree;Thy Son […]

Psalm 130:2. L. M.Pardoning grace. 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. 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. As […]

Humility and submission. 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 mindShall have a large reward:Let saints in […]

Psalm 132:1. 5 13-18. L. M.At the settlement of a church;or, The ordination of a Minister. Where shall we go to seek and findAn habitation for our God,A dwelling for th’ Eternal MindAmongst the sons of flesh and blood? The God of Jacob chose the hillOf Zion for his ancient rest;And Zion is his dwelling […]

Psalm 132:2. 4 5 7 8 15-17. C. M.A church established. [No sleep nor slumber to his eyesGood David would afford,Till he had found below the skiesA dwelling for the Lord. The Lord in Zion plac’d his Name,His ark was settled there;To Zion the whole nation came,To worship thrice a year. But we have no […]

Psalm 133:1. C. M.Brotherly love. Lo! what an entertaining sightAre brethren that agree,Brethren, whose cheerful hearts uniteIn bands of piety! When streams of love from Christ the springDescend to every soul,And heavenly peace, with balmy wing,Shades and bedews the whole; ‘Tis like the oil divinely sweet,On Aaron’s reverend head,The trickling drops perfum’d his feet,And o’er […]

Psalm 133:2. S. M.Communion of saints; or, Loveand worship in a family. Blest are the sons of peace,Whose hearts and hopes are one,Whose kind designs to serve and pleaseThro’ all their actions run. Blest is the pious houseWhere seat and friendship meet,Their songs of praise, their mingled vowsMake their communion sweet. Thus when on Aaron’s […]

Daily and nightly devotion. 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 nightAbove the starry sky. The God of Zion cheers our heartsWith rays of quickening grace;The God that […]

Psalm 133:3. As the 122nd Psalm.The blessings of friendship. 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! ‘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’ […]

Psalm 135:1. 1-4 14 19 21. First Part. L. M.The church is God’s house and care. 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. Praise ye the Lord; the Lord is good;To praise his Name is sweet employ;Israel he […]

The works of creation, providence, redemptionof Israel, and destruction of enemies. 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. At his command the vapours rise,The lightnings flash, the thunders roar;He pours the rain, he brings the wind,And tempest from […]

Psalm 135:3. C. M.Praise due to God, not to idols. 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 unknownAre his divine employ;But still his saints are near his throne,His treasure and his joy. Heaven, earth, and sea, confess his […]

Psalm 136:1. C. M.God’s wonders of creation, providence, redemptionof Israel, and salvation of his people. Give thanks to God the sovereign Lord;His mercies still endure!And be the King of kings ador’d;His truth is ever sure. What wonders hath his wisdom done!How mighty is his hand!Heaven, earth, and sea, he fram’d alone:How wide is his command! […]

God’s wonders of creation, providence, redemptionof Israel, and salvation of his people. 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. How mighty is his hand!What wonders hath he done!He form’d the earth and seas,And spread the […]

Psalm 136:3. Abridged. L. M.God’s wonders of creation, providence,redemption and salvation. 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.’ 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 […]

Restoring and preserving grace. [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. Angels that make thy church their careShall witness my devotions there,While holy zeal directs my eyesTo thy fair temple in the skies.] I’ll sing thy […]

Psalm 139:1. First Part. L. M.The all-seeing God. 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. My thoughts, before they are my own,Are to my God distinctly known;He knows the words I mean to speakEre from my opening […]

Psalm 139:2. Second Part. L. M.The wonderful formation of man. ‘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. 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 […]

Psalm 139:3. Third Part. L. M.Sincerity professed, and grace tried;or, The heart-searching of God. My God, what inward grief I feelWhen impious men transgress thy will!I mourn to hear their lips profaneTake thy tremendous Name in vain. Does not my soul detest and hateThe sons of malice and deceit?Those that oppose thy laws and theeI […]

Psalm 139:4. First Part. C. M.God is every where. In all my vast concerns with theeIn vain my soul would tryTo shun thy presence, Lord, or fleeThe notice of thine eye. Thy all-surrounding sight surveysMy rising and my rest,My public walks, my private ways,And secrets of my breast. My thoughts lie open to the LordBefore […]

Psalm 139:5. Second Part. C. M.The wisdom of God in the formation of man. When I with pleasing wonder stand,And all my frame survey,Lord, ’tis thy work; I own thy handThus built my humble clay. Thy hand my heart and reins possestWhere unborn nature grew,Thy wisdom all my features trac’d,And all my members drew. Thine […]

Psalm 139:6. 14 17 18. Third Part. C. M.The mercies of God innumerable.An evening psalm. Lord, when I count thy mercies o’er,They strike me with surprise;Not all the sands that spread the shoreTo 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 […]

Psalm 141. 2-5Watchfulness, and brotherly reproof.A morning or evening psalm. My God, accept my early vows,Like morning incense in thine house,And let my nightly worship riseSweet as the evening sacrifice. 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. O […]

God is the hope of the helpless. To God I made my sorrows known,From God I sought relief;In long complaints before his throneI pour’d out all my grief. 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. On every side I cast mine […]

Complaint of heavy afflictions in mind and body. 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. 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. Look […]

Psalm 144:1. 1 2. First PartAssistance and victory in the spiritual warfare. For ever blessed be the Lord,My Saviour and my shield;He sends his Spirit with his wordTo arm me for the field. 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. […]

Psalm 144:2. 3 4 5 6. Second PartThe vanity of man, and condescension of God. 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 manOr any of his race,That God should make it his concernTo visit him […]

Psalm 144:3. 12-15. Third PartGrace above riches; or, The happy nation. Happy the city, where their sonsLike pillars round a palace set,And daughters bright as polish’d stonesGive strength and beauty to the state. 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. […]

Psalm 145:1. L. M.The greatness of God. 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. The wings of every hour shall bearSome thankful tribute to thine ear;And every setting sun shall seeNew works of duty done for thee. Thy […]

Psalm 145:2. 1-7 11-13. First PartThe greatness of God. 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. 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. […]

Psalm 145:3. 7 etc. Second PartThe goodness of God. Sweet is the memory of thy grace,My God, my heavenly king;Let age to age thy righteousnessIn sounds of glory sing. God reigns on high, but not confinesHis goodness to the skies;Thro’ the whole earth his bounty shines,And every want supplies. With longing eyes thy creatures waitOn […]

Psalm 145:4. 14 17 etc. Third PartMercy to sufferers; or, God hearing prayer. Let every tongue thy goodness speak,Thou sovereign Lord of all;Thy strengthening hands uphold the weak,And raise the poor that fall. When sorrow bows the spirit down,Or virtue lies distrestBeneath some proud oppressor’s frown,Thou giv’st the mourners rest. The Lord supports our tottering […]

Psalm 146:1. L. M.Praise to God for his goodness and truth. 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. Praise shall employ my noblest powers,While immortality endures;My days of praise shall ne’er be past,While life and thought and […]

Praise to God for his goodness and truth. 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. Why should I make a man my trust?Princes must die and turn to […]

The divine nature, providence and grace. 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. The Lord builds up Jerusalem,And gathers nations to his Name:His mercy melts the stubborn soul,And makes the broken spirit whole. He form’d the stars, those […]

Summer and winter.A song for Great Britain. 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. 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. […]

Psalm 94:2. 16-23. Second PartGod our support and comfort; or, Deliverancefrom temptation and persecution. Who will arise and plead my rightAgainst my numerous foes,While earth and hell their force unite,And all my hopes oppose? Had not the Lord, my rock, my help,Sustain’d my fainting head,My life had now in silence dwelt,My soul amongst the dead. […]

Psalm 93:3. 3d M. As the Old 122d PsalmThe same. The Lord Jehovah reignsAnd royal state maintains,His head with awful glories crown’d;Array’d in robes of light,Begirt with sovereign might,And rays of majesty around. Upheld by thy commandsThe world securely stands;And skies and stars obey thy word:Thy throne was fix’d on highBefore the starry sky;Eternal is […]

Psalm 94:1. 1 2 7-14. First PartSaints chastised, and sinners destroyed;or, Instructive afflictions. God, to whom revenge belongs,Proclaim thy truth aloudLet 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 form’d their ears?Or blind, who made their eyes? […]

Psalm 93:2. 2d M. As the Old 50th PsalmThe same. The Lord of glory reigns; he reigns on high;His robes of state are strength and majesty:This wide creation rose at his command,Built by his word, and ‘stablish’d by his hand:Long stood his throne ere he began creation,And his own Godhead is the firm foundation. God […]

Psalm 90:5. 5 10 12. S. M.The frailty and shortness of life. Lord what a feeble pieceIs this our mortal frame!Our life how poor a trifle ’tis,That scarce deserves the name! Alas the brittle clayThat built our body first!And every month, and every day‘Tis mouldering back to dust. Our moments fly apace,Nor will our minutes […]

A psalm for the Lord’s day. Sweet is the work, my God my King,To praise thy Name, give thanks and sing,To shew thy love by morning light,And talk of all thy truth at night. Sweet is the day of sacred rest,No mortal cares shall seize my breast;O may my heart in tune be foundLike David’s […]

Psalm 91:2. 1-16. Second PartProtection from death, guard ofangels, victory and deliverance. Ye sons of men, a feeble race,Expos’d 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. […]

Psalm 91:1. 1-7. First PartSafety in public diseases and dangers. He that hath made his refuge God,Shall find a most secure abode,Shall walk all day beneath his shade,And there at night shall rest his head. Then will I say, “My God, thy power“Shall be my fortress and my tower;“I that am form’d of feeble dust“Make […]

Psalm 92:2. 12 etc. Second PartThe church is the garden of God. Lord, ’tis a pleasant thing to standIn gardens planted by thine hand;Let me within thy courts be seenLike a young cedar fresh and green. There grow thy saints in faith and love,Blest with thine influence from above;Not Lebanon with all its treesYields such […]

Psalm 93:1. 1st Metre. As 100th PsalmThe eternal and sovereign God. Jehovah reigns; he dwells in light,Girded with majesty and might:The world created by his handsStill on its first foundation stands. But ere this spacious world was made,Or had its first foundations laid,Thy throne eternal ages stood,Thyself the ever-living God. Like floods the angry nations […]

Psalm 90:4. 13 etc. Third Part. C. M.Breathing after heaven. Return, O God of love, return;Earth is a tiresome place:How long shall we thy children mournOur absence from thy face! Let heaven succeed our painful years,Let sin and sorrow cease,And in proportion to our tearsSo make our joys increase. Thy wonders to thy servants show,Make […]

Psalm 90:2. 1-5. First Part. C. M.Man frail, and God eternal. 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 throneThy saints have dwelt secure;Sufficient is thine arm alone,And our defence is sure. Before the hills in order stood,Or […]

Psalm 90:3. 8 11 9 10 12. 2d Part. C. M.Infirmities and mortality the effect of sin; or,Life, old age, and preparation for death. Lord, if thine eyes survey our faults,And justice grow severe,Thy dreadful wrath exceeds our thoughts,And burns beyond our fear. Thine anger turns our frame to dust;By one offence to theeAdam with […]

Psalm 90:1. L. M.Man mortal, and God eternal.A mournful song at a funeral. Thro’ every age, eternal God,Thou art our rest, our safe abode;High was thy throne ere heaven was made,Or earth thy humble footstool laid. Long hadst thou reign’d ere time began,Or dust was fashion’d to a man;And long thy kingdom shall endureWhen earth […]

Psalm 89:8. 47 etc. Last PartAs the 113th Psalm.Life, death, and the resurrection. Think, mighty God, on feeble man,How few his hours, how short his span!Short from the cradle to the grave:Who can secure his vital breathAgainst the bold demands of death,With skill to fly, or power to save? Lord, shall it be for ever […]

Psalm 89:7. 47 etc. Sixth PartMortality and hope.A funeral psalm. Remember, Lord, our mortal state,How frail our life, how short the date!Where is the man that draws his breathSafe from disease, secure from death? Lord, while we see whole nations die,Our flesh and sense repine and cry,“Must death for ever rage and reign?“Or hast thou […]

Psalm 89:6. 30 etc. Fifth PartThe covenant of grace unchangeable;or, Afflictions without rejection. “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 […]

Psalm 89:5. 19 etc. Fourth PartChrist’s mediatorial kingdom; or,His divine and human nature. 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 […]

Psalm 89:4. 15 etc. Third PartA blessed gospel. Blest are the souls that hear and knowThe gospel’s joyful sound;Peace shall attend the path they go,And light their steps surround. Their joy shall bear their spirits upThro’ their Redeemer’s Name;His righteousness exalts their hope,Nor Satan dares condemn. The Lord, our glory and defence,Strength and salvation gives;Israel, […]

Psalm 89:5. 19 etc. Fourth PartChrist’s mediatorial kingdom; or,His divine and human nature. 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 […]

Psalm 86. 8-13A general song of praise to God. 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 bringTheir offerings round thy throne;For thou alone dost wondrous things,For thou art God alone. Lord, I would walk with holy feet;Teach […]

The church the birth-place of the saints; or,Jews and Gentiles united in the Christian Church. God in his earthly temple laysFoundations for his heavenly praise:He likes the tents of Jacob well,But still in Zion loves to dwell. His mercy visits every houseThat pay their night and morning vows;But makes a more delightful stayWhere churches meet […]

Psalm 89:1. First Part. L. M.The covenant made with Christ; or, the true David. For ever shall my song recordThe truth and mercy of the Lord;Mercy and truth for ever stand,Like heaven, establish’d by his hand. Thus to his Son he sware, and said,“With thee my covenant first is made;“In thee shall dying sinners live,“Glory […]

Psalm 89:2. First Part. C. M.The faithfulness of God. My never-ceasing songs shall showThe mercies of the Lord,And make succeeding ages knowHow faithful is his word. The sacred truths his lips pronounceShall firm as heaven endure;And if he speak a promise once,Th’ eternal grace is sure. How long the race of David heldThe promis’d Jewish […]

Psalm 89:3. 7 etc. Second PartThe power and majesty of God;or, Reverential worship. With reverence let the saints appearAnd bow before the Lord,His high commands with reverence 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 compar’d to thine? The northern pole […]

Psalm 84:3. 14 2 3 10. Paraphrased. C. M.Delight in ordinances of worship;or, God present in his churches. My soul, how lovely is the placeTo which thy God resorts!‘Tis heaven to see his smiling face,Tho’ in his earthly courts. There the great Monarch of the skiesHis saving power displays,And light breaks in upon our eyesWith […]

Longing for the house of God. Lord of the worlds above,How pleasant and how fairThe dwellings of thy love,Thy earthly temples are!To thine abodeMy heart aspires,With warm desiresTo see my God. The sparrow, for her young,With pleasure seeks her nest;And wandering swallows longTo find their wonted rest:My spirit faintsWith equal zealTo rise and dwellAmong thy […]

Psalm 85:1. 1-8. First PartWaiting for an answer to prayer; or,Deliverance begun and completed. Lord, thou hast call’d thy grace to mind,Thou hast revers’d our heavy doom:So God forgave when Israel sinn’d,And brought his wandering captives home. Thou hast begun to set us free,And made thy fiercest wrath abate;Now let our hearts be turn’d to […]

Psalm 85:2. 9 etc. Second PartSalvation by Christ. Salvation is for ever nighThe souls that fear and trust the Lord;And grace descending from on high,Fresh hopes of glory shall afford. Mercy and truth on earth are met,Since Christ the Lord came down from heaven;By his obedience, so complete,Justice is pleas’d, and peace is given. Now […]

The church’s prayer under affliction;or, The vineyard of God wasted. Great Shepherd of thine Israel,Who didst between the cherubs dwell,And led the tribes, thy chosen sheep,Safe thro’ the desert and the deep. Thy church is in the desert now,Shine from on high and guide us thro’;Turn us to thee, thy love restore,We shall be sav’d, […]

Psalm 81. 1 8 16The warnings of God to his people; or,Spiritual blessings and punishments. Sing to the Lord aloud,And make a joyful noise;God is our strength, our Saviour God;Let Israel hear his voice. “From vile idolatry“Preserve my worship clean;“I am the Lord who set thee free“From slavery and sin. “Stretch thy desires abroad,“And I’ll […]

God the supreme Governor;or, Magistrates warned. Among th’ assemblies of the great,A greater Ruler takes his seat;The God of heaven, as Judge, surveysThose gods on earth and all their ways. Why will ye then frame wicked laws?Or why support th’ unrighteous cause?When will ye once defend the poor,That sinners vex the saints no more? They […]

A complaint against persecutors. And will the God of gracePerpetual silence keep?The God of justice hold his peace,And let his vengeance sleep? Behold what cursed snaresThe men of mischief spread;The men that hate thy saints and theeLift up their threatening head. Against thy hidden onesTheir counsels they employ,And malice with her watchful eye,Pursues them to […]

Psalm 84:1. First Part. L. M.The pleasure of public worship. How pleasant, how divinely fair,O Lord of hosts, thy dwellings are!With long desire my spirit faintsTo meet th’ assemblies of thy saints. My flesh would rest in thine abode,My panting heart cries out for God;My God! my King! why should I beSo far from all […]

Psalm 84:2. Second Part. L. M.God and his church; or, Grace and glory. Great God, attend, while Sion singsThe joy that from thy presence springsTo spend one day with thee on earthExceeds a thousand days of mirth. Might I enjoy the meanest placeWithin thine house, O God of grace,Not tents of ease, nor thrones of […]

Comfort derived from ancient providences; or,Israel delivered from Egypt, and brought to Canaan. “How awful is thy chastening rod!”(May thine 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 […]

Providence of God recorded; or, Piouseducation and instruction of children. Let children hear the mighty deeds,Which God perform’d 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 downThro’ every rising race. Our lips shall tell them […]

Israel’s rebellion and punishment; or, Thesins and chastisements of God’s people. What a stiff rebellious houseWas Jacob’s ancient race!False to their own most solemn vows,And to their Maker’s grace. They broke the covenant of his love,And did his laws despise,Forgot the works he wrought to proveHis power before their eyes. They saw the plagues on […]

The punishment of luxury and intemperance;or, Chastisement and salvation. When Israel Sins, The Lord Reproves,And fills their hearts with dread;Yet he forgives the men he loves,And sends them heavenly bread. He fed them with a liberal hand,And made his treasures known;He gave the midnight clouds commandTo pour provision down. The manna, like a morning shower,Lay […]

Psalm 78:4. 32 etc. Fourth PartBacksliding and forgiveness; or,Sin punished, and saints saved. Great God, how oft did Israel proveBy turns thine anger and thy love!There in a glass our hearts may seeHow fickle and how false they be. How soon the faithless Jews forgotThe dreadful wonders God had wrought!Then they provoke him to his […]

The church pleading with Godunder sore persecutions. Will God for ever cast us off?His wrath for ever smokeAgainst the people of his love,His little chosen flock? Think of the tribes so dearly boughtWith their Redeemer’s blood;Nor let thy Sion be forgot,Where once thy glory stood. Lift up thy feet and march in haste,Aloud our ruin […]

Power and government from God alone.Applied to the glorious Revolution by King William, orthe happy Accession of King George to the Throne. To thee, most holy, and most high,To thee, we bring our thankful praise;Thy works declare thy name is nigh,Thy works of wonder and of grace. Britain was doom’d to be a slave,Her frame […]

Israel saved, and the Assyrians destroyed;or, God’s vengeance against his enemiesproceeds from his church. In Judah God of old was known;His Name in Israel great;In Salem stood his holy throne,And Sion was his seat. Among the praises of his saintsHis dwelling there he chose;There he receiv’d their just complaintsAgainst their haughty foes. From Sion went […]

Melancholy assaulting, and hope prevailing. To God I cry’d with mournful voice,I sought his gracious ear,In the sad day when troubles rose,And fill’d the night with fear. Sad were my days, and dark my nights,My soul refus’d relief;I thought on God the just and wise,But thoughts increas’d my grief. Still I complain’d, and still opprest,My […]

Christ’s kingdom among the Gentiles. Jesus shall reign where’er the sunDoes his successive journies run;His kingdom stretch from shore to shore,Till moons shall wax and wane no more. [Behold the islands with their kings,And Europe her best tribute brings;From north to south the princes meetTo pay their homage at his feet. There Persia glorious to […]

Psalm 73:1. First Part. C. M.Afflicted saints happy, andprosperous sinners cursed. Now I’m convinc’d the Lord is kindTo men of heart sincere,Yet once my foolish thoughts repin’dAnd border’d on despair. I griev’d 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 […]

Psalm 73:2. 23-8. Second PartGod our portion here and hereafter. God my supporter and my hope,My help for ever near,Thine arm of mercy held me upWhen sinking in despair. Thy counsels, Lord, shall guide my feetThro’ this dark wilderness;Thine hand conduct me near thy seatTo dwell before thy face. Were I in heaven without my […]

Psalm 73:3. 22 3 6 17-20. L. M.The prosperity of sinners cursed. Lord, what a thoughtless wretch was I,To mourn, and murmur, and repineTo see the wicked plac’d on high,In pride and robes of honour shine! But O their end, their dreadful end!Thy sanctuary taught me so:On slippery rocks I see them stand,And fiery billows […]

Psalm 73:4. S. M.The mystery of providence unfolded. Sure there’s a righteous God,Nor is religion vain,Tho’ men of vice may boast aloud,And men of grace complain. I saw the wicked rise,And felt my heart repine,While haughty fools with scornful eyesIn robes of honour shine. [Pamper’d with wanton ease,Their flesh looks full and fair,Their wealth rolls […]

Psalm 71:1. 5-9. First PartThe aged saint’s reflection and hope. My God, my everlasting hope,I live upon thy truth;Thine hands have held my childhood up,And strengthen’d all my youth. My flesh was fashion’d by thy power,With all these limbs of mine;And from my mother’s painful hourI’ve been entirely thine. Still has my life new wonders […]

Psalm 71:2. 15 14 16 23 22 24. 2d PartChrist our strength and righteousness. My Saviour, 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 firstI speak thy glories more. My feet shall travel all […]

Psalm 71:3. 17-21. Third PartThe aged Christian’s prayer and song; or,Old age, death, and the resurrection. God of my childhood and my youth,The guide of all my days,I have declar’d thy heavenly truth,And told thy wondrous ways. Wilt thou forsake my hoary hairs,And leave my fainting heart?Who shall sustain my sinking yearsIf God my strength […]

The kingdom of Christ. Great God, whose universal swayThe known and unknown worlds obey,Now give the kingdom to thy Son,Extend his power, exalt his throne. Thy sceptre well becomes his hands,All heaven submits to his commands;His justice shall avenge the poor,And pride and rage prevail no more. With power he vindicates the just,And treads th’ […]

Psalm 68:2. 17 18. Second PartChrist’s ascension, and the gift of the Spirit. Lord, when thou didst ascend on high,Ten thousand angels fill’d the sky;Those heavenly guards around thee wait,Like chariots that attend thy state. Not Sinai’s mountain could appearMore glorious when the Lord was there;While he pronounc’d his dreadful law,And struck the chosen tribes […]

Psalm 68:3. 19 9 20-2. Third PartPraise for temporal blessings; or,Common and special mercies. We bless the Lord, the just, the good,Who fills our hearts with joy and food;Who pours his blessings from the skies,And loads our days with rich supplies. He sends the sun his circuit round,To cheer the fruits, to warm the ground;He […]

Psalm 69:1. 1-14. First Part. C. M.The sufferings of Christ for our salvation. “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 […]

Psalm 69:2. 14-21 26 29 32. 2d Part. C. M.The passion and exaltation of Christ. Now let our lips with holy fearAnd mournful pleasure singThe sufferings 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 heavenly Father’s earHe sends perpetual cries. “Hear me, […]

Psalm 69:3. Third Part. C. M.Christ’s obedience and death; or,God glorified and sinners saved. Father, I sing thy wondrous grace,I bless my Saviour’s Name,He bought salvation for the poor,And bore the sinner’s shame. His deep distress has rais’d us high,His duty and his zealFulfill’d the law which mortals broke,And finish’d all thy will. His dying […]

Psalm 69:4. First Part. L. M.Christ’s passion, and sinners’ salvation. Deep in our hearts let us recordThe deeper sorrows of our Lord;Behold the rising billows rollTo overwhelm his holy soul. In long complaints he spends his breath,While hosts of hell, and powers of death,And all the sons of malice joinTo execute their curst design. Yet, […]

Psalm 66:2. 13-20. Second PartPraise to God for hearing prayer. Now shall my solemn vows be paidTo that Almighty power,That heard the long requests I madeIn my distressful hour. My lips and cheerful heart prepareTo make his mercies known;Come, ye that fear my God, and hearThe wonders he has done. When on my head huge […]

The nation’s prosperity and the church’s increase. Shine, mighty God, on Britain shineWith beams of heavenly grace;Reveal thy power thro’ all our coasts,And shew thy smiling face. [Amidst our isle, exalted high,Do thou our glory stand,And like a wall of guardian fireSurround the favourite land.] When shall thy Name, from shore to shore,Sound all the […]

Psalm 68:1. 1-6 32-35. First PartThe vengeance and compassion of God. Let God arise in all his might,And put the troops of hell to flight,As smoke that sought to cloud the skiesBefore the rising tempest flies. [He comes array’d in burning flames;Justice and vengeance are his names:Behold his fainting foes expireLike melting wax before the […]

Psalm 65:4. Second Part. C. M.The providence of God in air, earth,and sea; or, The blessing of rain. ‘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 evening shadeSuccessive comforts bring;Thy plenteous fruits make harvest glad,Thy flowers adorn the spring. […]

Psalm 65:5. Third Part. C. M.The blessing: of the spring; or, God givesrain. A psalm for the husbandman. Good is the Lord, the heavenly King,Who makes the earth his care,Visits the pastures every spring,And bids the grass appear. The clouds, like rivers rais’d on high,Pour out, at thy command,Their watery blessings from the sky,To cheer […]

Governing power and goodness;or, Our graces tried by afflictions. Sing, all ye nations, to the Lord,Sing with a joyful noise;With melody of sound recordHis honours, 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 […]

Psalm 63:4. S. M.Seeking God. My God, permit my tongueThis joy, to call thee mine,And let my early cries prevailTo taste thy love divine. My thirsty fainting soulThy mercy doth implore;Not travellers in desert landsCan pant for water more. Within thy churches, Lord,I long to find my place,Thy power and glory to behold,And feel thy […]

Psalm 65:1. 1-5. First Part. L. M.Public prayer and praise. The praise of Sion waits for thee,My God; and praise becomes thy house;There shall thy saints thy glory see,And there perform their public vows. O thou, whose mercy bends the skiesTo save when humble sinners pray,All lands to thee shall lift their eyesAnd islands of […]

Psalm 65:2. 5-13. Second Part. L. M.Divine providence in air, earth, and sea;or, The God of nature and grace. The God of our salvation hearsThe groans of Sion mix’d with tears;Yet when he comes with kind designs,Thro’ all the way his terror shines. On him the race of man depends,Far as the earth’s remotest ends,Where […]

Psalm 65:3. First Part. C. M.A prayer-hearing God, and the Gentiles called. Praise waits in Sion, 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 pardoning grace is thine,And thou wilt grant us power and skillTo conquer every sin. Bless’d are […]

Psalm 63:1. 1 2 5 34. First Part. C. M.The morning of a Lord’s day. Early, my God, without delayI 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 […]

Psalm 63:2. 6-10. Second PartMidnight thoughts recollected. ‘Twas in the watches of the nightI thought upon thy power,I kept thy lovely face in sightAmidst 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 labours up thine hill,And climbs […]

Psalm 63:3. L. M.Longing after God; or, Thelove of God better than life. Great God, indulge my humble claimThou art my hope, my joy, my rest;The glories that compose thy NameStand all engag’d to make me blest. Thou great and good, thou just and wise,Thou art my Father and my God;And I am thine by […]

Praise for protection, grace, and truth. My God, in whom are all the springsOf boundless love and grace unknown,Hide me beneath thy spreading wingsTill the dark cloud is overblown. Up to the heavens I send my cry,The Lord will my desires perform;He sends his angel from the sky,And saves me from the threatening storm. Be […]

Warning to magistrates. Judges, who rule the world by laws,Will ye despise the righteous cause,When th’ injur’d poor before you stands?Dare ye condemn the righteous poor,And let rich sinners ‘scape secure,While gold and greatness bribe your hands? Have ye forgot, or never knew,That God will judge the judges too?High in the heavens his justice reigns?Yet […]

Psalm 60. 1-5 10-12On a day of humiliation for disappointments in war. 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 thineMelts all our strength away;Like men that totter drunk with wine,We tremble in dismay. Great Britain shakes beneath thy […]

Psalm 61. 1-6Safety in God. When overwhelm’d with griefMy heart within me dies,Helpless and far from all reliefTo heaven I lift mine eyes. O lead me to the rockThat’s high above my head,And make the covert of thy wingsMy shelter and my shade. Within thy presence, Lord,For ever I’ll abide;Thou art the tower of my […]

Psalm 62. 5-12No trust in the creatures; or,Faith in divine grace and power. My spirit looks to God alone;My rock and refuge is his throne;In all my fears, in all my straits,My soul on his salvation waits. 2 Trust him, ye saints, in all your ways,Pour out your hearts before his face:When helpers fail, and […]

Psalm 55:1. 1-8 16-18 22. C. M.Support for the afflicted and tempted soul. 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 levell’d at my life,My soul with guilt they load,And fill my thoughts with inward strifeTo shake my hope in […]

Psalm 55:2. 15-17 19 22. S. M.Dangerous prosperity; or,Daily devotions encouraged. Let sinners take their course,And choose the road to death;But in the worship of my GodI’ll spend my daily breath. My thoughts address his throneWhen morning brings the light;I seek his blessing every noon,And pay my vows at night. Thou wilt regard my cries,O […]

Deliverance from oppression and falsehood; or,God’s care of his people, in answer to faith and prayer. Thou, whose justice reigns on high,And makes th’ oppressor cease,Behold how envious sinners tryTo vex and break my peace! The Sons of violence and liesJoin to devour me, Lord;But as my hourly dangers rise,My refuge is thy word. In […]

Psalm 51:5. 14-17. Second Part. C. M.Repentance and faith in the blood of Christ. O God of mercy! hear my call,My loads of guilt remove;Break down this separating wallThat bars me from thy love. Give me the presence of thy grace,Then my rejoicing tongueShall speak aloud thy righteousness,And make thy praise my song. No blood […]

Psalm 69:5. 7 etc. Second Part. L. M.Christ’s sufferings and zeal. ‘Twas for thy sake, eternal God,Thy son sustain’d that heavy loadOf base reproach and sore disgrace,And shame defil’d his sacred face. The Jews, his brethren and his kin,Abus’d the man that check’d their sin:While he fulfill’d thy holy laws,They hate him, but without a […]

Psalm 53. 4-6Victory and deliverance from persecution. Are all the foes of Sion fools,Who thus devour her saints?Do they not know her Saviour rules,And pities her complaints? They shall be seiz’d with sad surprise;For God’s revenging armScatters the bones of them that riseTo do his children harm. In vain the sons of Satan boastOf armies […]

Psalm 51:2. Second Part. L. M.Original and actual sin confessed. Lord, I am vile, conceiv’d in sin;And born unholy and unclean;Sprung from the man whose guilty fallCorrupts the race, and taints us all. Soon as we draw our infant-breath,The seeds of sin grow up for death;Thy law demands a perfect heart,But we’re defil’d in every […]

Psalm 51:3. Third Part. L. M.The backslider restored; or, Repentanceand faith in the blood of Christ. O thou that hear’st when sinners cry,Tho’ all my crimes before thee lie,Behold them not with angry look,But blot their memory from thy book. Create my nature pure within,And form my soul averse to sin;Let thy good Spirit ne’er […]

Psalm 51:4. 3-13. First Part. C. M.Original and actual sin confessed and pardoned. Lord, I would spread my sore distressAnd 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,Heaven would approve thy vengeance well,And earth must own it just. […]

Psalm 50:5. to a New TuneThe last judgment. The Lord the Sovereign sends his summons forth,Calls the south nations, and awakes the north;From east to west the sounding orders spreadThro’ distant worlds and regions of the dead:No more shall atheists mock his long delay;His vengeance sleeps no more: behold the day! Behold the Judge descends; […]

The last judgment. The God of glory sends his summons forth,Calls the south nations, and awakes the north;From east to west the sov’reign orders spread,Thro’ distant worlds, and regions of the dead:The trumpet sounds; hell trembles; heaven rejoices;Lift up your heads, ye saints, with cheerful voices. No more shall atheists mock his long delay;His vengeance […]

Psalm 51:1. First Part. L. M.A penitent pleading for pardon. Shew pity, Lord, O Lord, forgive,Let a repenting rebel live:Are not thy mercies large and free?May not a sinner trust in thee? My crimes are great, but not surpassThe power and glory of thy grace;Great God, thy nature hath no bound,So let thy pardoning love […]

Psalm 50:2. 8 10 11 14 15 23Second Part. C. M.Obedience is better than sacrifice. 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 all […]

Psalm 50:3. 1 5 8 16 21 22. 3d Part. C. M.The judgement of hypocrites. When Christ to judgment shall descendAnd 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. […]

Psalm 50:4. L. M.Hypocrisy exposed. The Lord, the Judge, his churches warns,Let hypocrites attend and fear,Who place their hope in rites and forms,But make not faith nor love their care. Vile wretches dare rehearse his nameWith lips of falsehood and deceit;A friend or brother they defame,And soothe and flatter those they hate. They watch to […]

Psalm 49:2. 14 15. Second Part. C. M.Death and the resurrection. 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 reignO’er all that […]

Psalm 49:3. L. M.The rich sinner’s death, and the saint’s resurrection. Why do the proud insult the poor,And boast the large estates they have?How vain are riches to secureTheir haughty owners from the grave! They can’t redeem one hour from death,With all the wealth in which they trust;Nor give a dying brother breath,When God commands […]

Psalm 50:1. 1-6. First Part. C. M.The last judgment; or, The saints rewarded. 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 delayTo impudence and sin. Thron’d on a cloud […]

Christ ascending and reigning. O for a shout of sacred joyTo God the sovereign King!Let every land their tongues employ,And hymns of triumph sing. Jesus our God ascends on high,His heavenly guards aroundAttend him rising thro’ the sky,With trumpet’s joyful sound. While angels shout and praise their King,Let mortals learn their strains;Let all the earth […]

Psalm 48:1. 1-8. First PartThe church is the honour and safety of a nation. [Great is the Lord our God,And let his praise be great;He makes his churches his abode,His most delightful seat. These temples of his grace,How beautiful they stand!The honours of our native place,And bulwarks of our land.] In Sion God is knownA […]

Psalm 48:2. 10-14. Second PartThe beauty of the church; or,Gospel worship and order. Far as thy name is knownThe world declares thy praise;Thy saints, O Lord, before thy throneTheir songs of honour raise. With joy let Judah standOn Sion’s chosen hill,Proclaim the wonders of thy hand,And counsels of thy will. Let strangers walk aroundThe city […]

Psalm 49:1. 8-14. First Part. C. M.Pride and death; or, The vanity of life and riches. Why doth the man of riches growTo insolence and pride,To see his wealth and honours flowWith every rising tide? [Why doth he treat the poor with scorn,Made of the self-same clay,And boast as tho’ his flesh was bornOf better […]

The church’s safety and triumphamong national desolations. God is the refuge of his saints,When storms of sharp distress invade;Ere we can offer our complaintsBehold him present with his aid. Let mountains from their seats be hurl’dDown to the deep, and buried there;Convulsions shake the solid world,Our faith shall never yield to fear. Loud may the […]

God fights for his church. Let Sion in her King rejoice,Tho’ tyrants rage and kingdoms rise;He utters his almighty voice,The nations melt, the tumult dies. The Lord of old for Jacob fought,And Jacob’s God is still our aid;Behold the works his hand has wrought,What desolations he has made! From sea to sea, thro’ all the […]

Psalm 45:2. C. M.The personal glories and government of Christ. I’ll speak the honours of my King,His form divinely fair;None of the sons of mortal raceMay with the Lord compare. Sweet is thy speech and heavenly graceUpon thy lips is shed;Thy God, with blessings infinite,Hath crown’d thy sacred head. Gird on thy sword, victorious Prince,Ride […]

Psalm 45:3. First Part. L. M.The glory of Christ, and power of his gospel. Now be my heart inspir’d to singThe glories of my Saviour-king,Jesus the Lord; how heavenly fairHis form! how ‘bright his beauties are! O’er all the sons of human raceHe shines with a superior grace,Love from his lips divinely flows,And blessings all […]

Psalm 45:4. Second Part. L. M.Christ and his church; or, The mystical marriage. The king of saints, how fair his face,Adorn’d with majesty and grace!He comes with blessings from above,And wins the nations to his love. At his right hand our eyes beholdThe queen array’d in purest gold;The world admires her heavenly dress,Her robe of […]

Psalm 42:2. 6-11. Second PartMelancholy thoughts reproved;or, Hope in afflictions. My spirit sinks within me, Lord,But I will call thy name to mind,And times of past distress record,When I have found my God was kind. Huge troubles, with tumultuous noise,Swell like a sea, and round me spread;Thy water-spouts drown all my joys,And rising waves roll […]

Psalm 44. 1 2 3 8 15-26The church’s complaint in persecution. Lord, we have heard thy works of old,Thy works of power and grace,When to our ears our fathers toldThe 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 […]

Psalm 45:1. S. M.The glory of Christ; the success ofthe gospel; and the Gentile church. My Saviour and my King,Thy beauties are divine;Thy lips with blessings overflow,And every grace is thine. Now make thy glory known,Gird on thy dreadful sword,And ride in majesty to spreadThe conquests of thy word. Strike thro’ thy stubborn foes,Or melt […]

Psalm 40:2. 6-9. Second Part. C. M.The incarnation and sacrifice of Christ. 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 Saviour, “Lo, I’m here,“My God, to do thy will;“‘Whate’er thy sacred books declare,“Thy servant shall fulfil. “Thy law is ever […]

Psalm 40:3. 5-10. L. M.Christ our sacrifice. The wonders, Lord, thy love has wrought,Exceed our praise, surmount our thought;Should I attempt the long detail,My speech would faint, my numbers fail. No blood of beasts on altars spilt,Can cleanse the souls of men from guilt,But thou hast set before our eyesAn all-sufficient sacrifice. Lo! thine eternal […]

Psalm 41. 1 2 3Charity to the poor; or, Pity to the afflicted. Blest is the man whose bowels move,And melt with pity to the poor,Whose soul, by sympathising love,Feels what his fellow-saints endure. His heart contrives for their reliefMore good than his own hands can do;He, in the time of general grief,Shall find the […]

Psalm 42:1. 1-5. First PartDesertion and hope; or, Complaintof absence from public worship. With earnest longings of the mind,My God, to thee I look;So pants the hunted hart to findAnd taste the cooling brook. When shall I see thy courts of grace,And meet my God again?So long an absence from thy faceMy heart endures with […]

Psalm 39:2. 4-7. Second PartThe vanity of man as mortal. 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 dustIn all his flower and prime. See […]

Psalm 39:3. 9-13. Third PartSick-bed devotion; or, Pleading without repining. 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 murmuring wordAgainst thy chastening hand. Yet I may plead with humble cries,Remove […]

Psalm 40:1. 1 3 5 17. First Part. C. M.A song of deliverance from great distress. I waited patient for the Lord,He bow’d to hear my cry;He saw me resting on his word,And brought salvation nigh. He rais’d me from a horrid pitWhere mourning long I lay,And from my bonds releas’d my feet,Deep bonds of […]

Psalm 37:3. 23-27. Third PartThe way and end of the righteous and the wicked. My God, the steps of pious menAre order’d by thy will;Tho’ 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 […]

Guilt of conscience and relief; or, Repentance,and prayer for pardon and health. Amidst thy wrath remember love,Restore thy servant, Lord;Nor let a father’s chastening proveLike an avenger’s sword. Thine arrows stick within my heart,My flesh is sorely prest;Between the sorrow and the smartMy spirit finds no rest. My sins a heavy load appear,And o’er my […]

Psalm 39:1. 1 2 3. First PartWatchfulness over the tongue;or, Prudence and zeal. Thus I resolv’d before the Lord,“Now will I watch my tongue,“Lest I let slip one sinful word,“Or do my neighbour wrong.” And if I’m e’er constrain’d to stayWith men of lives profaneI’ll set a double guard that day,Nor let my talk be […]

Psalm 36:3. 1-7. S. M.The wickedness of man, and the majesty of God;or. Practical atheism exposed. When man grows bold in sinMy heart within me cries,“He hath no faith of God within,Nor fear before his eyes.” [He walks awhile conceal’dIn a self-flattering dream,Till his dark crimes at once reveal’dExpose his hateful name.] His heart is […]

Psalm 37:1. 1-15. First Part The cure of envy, fretfulness, and unbelief;or, The rewards of the righteous, and the wicked;or, The world’s hatred, and the saint’s patience. Why should I vex my soul and fretTo see the wicked rise?Or envy sinners waxing great,By violence and lies. As flowery grass cut down at noon,Before the evening […]

Psalm 37:2. 16 21 26-31. Second Part Charity to the poor; or, Religion in words and deeds. Why do the wealthy wicked boast,And grow profanely bold?The meanest portion of the justExcels 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 […]

Psalm 35:2. 12-14. Second Part Love to enemies; or, The love ofChrist to sinners typified in David. Behold the love, the generous loveThat holy David shows;Hark, how his sounding bowels moveTo 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. […]

Psalm 36:1. 5-9. L. M. The perfections and providence of God;or, General providence and special grace. High in the heavens, eternal God,Thy goodness in full glory shines;Thy truth shall break thro’ every cloudThat veils and darkens thy designs. For ever firm thy justice stands,As mountains their foundations keep;Wise are the wonders of thy hands;Thy judgments […]

Psalm 36:2. 1 2 5 6 7 9 C. MPractical atheism exposed; or,The being and attributes of God asserted. 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 […]

Psalm 34:2. 11-22. Second Part. L. M.Religious education; or, Instructions of piety. Children in years and knowledge young,Your parents’ hope, your parents’ joy,Attend the counsels of my tongue,Let pious thoughts your minds employ. If you desire a length of days,And peace to crown your mortal state,Restrain your feet from impious ways,Your lips from slander and […]

Psalm 34:3. 1-10. First Part. C. M.Prayer and Praise for eminent deliverance. 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 honour of his name,How a poor sufferer cry’d,Nor was his hope expos’d to shame,Nor was his […]

Psalm 34:4. 11-22. Second Part. C. M.Exhortations to peace and Holiness. Come, children, learn to fear the Lord;And that your days be long,Let not a false or spiteful wordBe 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 […]

Prayer and faith of persecuted saints;or, Imprecations mixed with charity. 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 Saviour God.” They plant their […]

Works of creation and providence. Ye holy souls, in God rejoice,Your Maker’s praise becomes your voice;Great is your theme, your songs be new:Sing of his name, his word, his ways,His works of nature and of grace,How wise and holy, just and true. Justice and truth he ever loves,And the whole earth his goodness proves,His word […]

Creatures vain, and God all-sufficient. 1 O Happy nation, where the LordReveals the treasure of his word,And builds his church his earthly throne!His eye the heathen world surveys,He form’d their hearts, he knows their ways;But God their Maker is unknown. Let kings rely upon their host,And of his strength the champion boast;In vain they boast, […]

Psalm 34:1. First Part. L. M.God’s care of the saints; or, Deliverance by prayer. Lord, I will bless thee all my days,Thy praise shall dwell upon my tongue;My soul shall glory in thy grace,While saints rejoice to hear the song. Come, magnify the Lord with me,Come, let us all exalt his name;I sought th’ eternal […]

Psalm 32:3. L. M.Repentance and free pardon;or, Justification and sanctification. Blest is the man, for ever blest,Whose guilt is pardon’d by his God,Whose sins with sorrow are confess’d,And cover’d with his Saviour’s blood. Blest is the man to whom the LordImputes not his iniquities,He pleads no merit of reward,And not on works, but grace relies. […]

Psalm 32:4. Second Part. L. MA guilty conscience eased by confession and pardon. While I keep silence, and concealMy heavy guilt within my heart,What torments doth my conscience feel!What agonies of inward smart! I spread my sins before the Lord,And all my secret faults confess;Thy gospel speaks a pard’ning wordThine Holy Spirit seals the grace. […]

Psalm 33:1. First Part. C. M.Works of creation and providence. 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 righteousnessLet heaven and earth proclaim;His works of nature and of graceReveal his wondrous name. His wisdom and almighty wordThe heavenly […]

Psalm 33:2. Second Part. C. M.Creatures vain, and God all-sufficient. Blest is the nation where the LordHath fix’d his gracious throne;Where he reveals his heavenly word,And calls their tribes his own. His eye, with infinite survey,Does the whole world behold;He form’d us all of equal clay,And knows our feeble mould. Kings are not rescu’d by […]

Psalm 31:2. 7-13 18-21. Second PartDeliverance from slander and reproach. My heart rejoices in thy name,My God, my help, my trust;Thou hast preserv’d my face from shame,Mine honour from the dust. “My life is spent with grief,” I cry’d,“My years consum’d in groans,“My strength decays, mine eyes are dry’d,“And sorrow wastes my bones.” Among mine […]

Psalm 32:1. S. M.Forgiveness of sins upon confession. O blessed souls are theyWhose sins are cover’d o’er!Divinely blest, to whom the Lordimputes their guilt no more. They mourn their follies past,And keep their hearts with care;Their lips and lives without deceit,Shall prove their faith sincere. While I conceal’d my guiltI felt the festering wound,Till I […]

Psalm 32:2. First Part. L. M.Free pardon and sincere obedience;or, Confession and forgiveness. Happy the man to whom his GodNo more imputes his sin,But wash’d in the Redeemer’s blood,Hath made his garments clean! Happy, beyond expression, heWhose debts are thus discharg’d;And from the guilty bondage free,He feels his soul enlarg’d. His spirit hates deceit and […]

Psalm 29. L. M.Storm and thunder. Give to the Lord, ye sons of fame,Give to the Lord renown and power,Ascribe due honours to his name,And his eternal might adore. The Lord proclaims his power aloudOver the ocean and the land;His voice divides the watery cloud,And lightnings blaze at his command. He speaks, and tempest, hail, […]

Sickness healed, and sorrow removed. I will extol thee, Lord, on high,At thy command, diseases fly;Who but a God can speak and saveFrom the dark borders of the grave? Sing to the Lord, ye saints of his,And tell how large his goodness is;Let all your powers rejoice and bless,While you record his holiness. His anger […]

Psalm 30:2. 6. Second PartHealth, sickness, and recovery. Firm was my health, my day was bright,And I presum’d ‘twould ne’er be night;Fondly I said within my heart,“Pleasure and peace shall ne’er depart.” But I forgot thine arm was strong,Which made my mountain stand so long;Soon as thy face began to hide,My health was gone, my […]

Psalm 31:1. 5 13-19 22 23. First PartDeliverance from death. Into thine hand, O God of truth,My spirit I commit;Thou hast redeem’d my soul from death,And sav’d me from the pit. The passions of my hope and fearMaintain’d a doubtful strife,While sorrow, pain, and sin conspir’dTo take away my life. “My times are in thine […]

Psalm 25:3. 15-22. Third PartDistress of soul; or, Backsliding and desertion. Mine eyes and my desireAre ever to the Lord;I love to plead his promises,And rest upon his word. Turn, turn thee to my soul,Bring thy salvation near:When will thy hand release my feetOut of the deadly snare? When shall the sovereign graceOf my forgiving […]

Self-examination; or, Evidences of grace. Judge me, O Lord, and prove my ways,And try my reins, and try my heart;My faith upon thy promise stays,Nor from thy law my feet depart. I hate to walk, I hate to sit,With men of vanity and lies;The scoffer and the hypocriteAre the abhorrence of mine eyes. Amongst thy […]

Psalm 27:1. 1-6. First PartThe church is our delight and safety. The Lord of glory is my light,And my salvation too;God is my strength, nor will I fearWhat all my foes can do. One privilege my heart desires;O grant me an abodeAmong the churches of thy saints,The temples of my God! There shall I offer […]

Psalm 27:2. 8 9 13 14. Second PartPrayer and Hope. Soon as I heard my Father say,“Ye children, seek my grace;”My heart reply’d 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 theeIn a distressing day. Should friends and kindred […]

Psalm 24:2. L. M.Saints dwell in heaven; or, Christ’s ascension. This spacious earth is all the Lord’s,And men, and worms, and beasts, and birds:He rais’d the building on the seas,And gave it for their dwelling-place. But there’s a brighter world on high,Thy palace, Lord, above the sky:Who shall ascend that blest abode,And dwell so near […]

Psalm 25:1. 1-11. First PartWaiting for pardon and direction. I Lift my soul to God,My trust is in his name;Let not my foes that seek my bloodStill triumph in my shame. Sin and the powers of hellPersuade me to despair;Lord, make me know thy covenant well,That I may ‘scape the snare. From the first dawning […]

Psalm 25:2. 12 14 10 13. Second PartDivine instruction. Where shall the man be foundThat fears t’ offend his God,That loves the gospel’s joyful sound,And trembles at the rod? The Lord shall make him knowThe secrets of his heart,The wonders of his covenant show,And all his love impart. The dealings of his handAre truth and […]

Psalm 23:1. L. M.God our Shepherd. My shepherd is the living Lord;Now shall my wants be well supply’dHis providence and holy wordBecome my safety and my guide. In pastures where salvation growsHe makes me feed, he makes me rest;There living water gently flows,And all the food’s divinely blest. My wandering feet his ways mistake,But he […]

Psalm 23:2. C. M.The same. My Shepherd will supply my need,Jehovah is his name;In pastures fresh he makes me feedBeside the living stream. He brings my wandering spirit back,When I forsake his ways;And leads me for his mercy’s sake,In paths of truth and grace. When I walk thro’ the shades of death,Thy presence is my […]

Psalm 23:3. S. M.The same. The Lord my shepherd is,I shall be well supply’d;Since he is mine, and I am his,What can I want beside? He leads me to the placeWhere heavenly pasture grows,Where living waters gently pass,And full salvation flows. If e’er I go astray,He doth my soul reclaim,And guides me in his own […]

Psalm 24:1. C. M.Dwelling with God. The earth for ever is the Lord’s,With Adam’s numerous race;He rais’d its arches o’er the floods,And built it on the seas. But who among the sons of menMay visit thine abode?He that has hands from mischief clean,Whose heart is right with God. This is the man may rise, and […]

Psalm 21:2. 1-9. L. M.Christ exalted to the kingdom. David rejoic’d in God his strength,Rais’d to the throne by special grace;But Christ, the Son, appears at length,Fulfils the triumph and the praise. How great is the Messiah’s joyIn the salvation of thy hand!Lord, thou hast rais’d his kingdom high,And given the world to his command. […]

Psalm 22:1. 1-16. First Part. C. M.The sufferings and death of Christ. “Why has my God my soul forsook,“Nor will a smile afford?”(Thus David once in anguish spoke,And thus our dying Lord.) Tho’ ’tis thy chief delight to dwellAmong thy praising saints,Yet thou canst hear a groan as well,And pity our complaints. Our fathers trusted […]

Psalm 22:2. 20 21 27-31. 2d Part. C. M.Christ’s sufferings and kingdom. “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 suffering Saviour pray,With mighty cries and tears;God heard him in that dreadful day,And chas’d away his fears. Great was the victory […]

Psalm 22:3. L. M.Christ’s sufferings and exaltation. Now let our mournful songs recordThe dying sorrows of our Lord;When he complain’d in tears and bloodAs one forsaken of his God. The Jews beheld him thus forlorn,And shake their heads, and laugh in scorn;“He rescu’d others from the grave,“Now let him try himself to save. “This is […]

To the tune of the 113th Psalm.The book of nature and scripture. Great God, the heaven’s well-order’d frameDeclares the glories of thy name;There thy rich works of wonder shine:A thousand starry beauties there,A thousand radiant marks appearOf boundless power and skill divine. From night to day, from day to night,The dawning and the dying lightLectures […]

Prayer and hope of victory.For a day of prayer in time of war. Now may the God of power and graceAttend his people’s humble cry!Jehovah hears when Israel prays,And brings deliverance from on high. The name of Jacob’s God defendsBetter than shields or brazen walls;He from his sanctuary sendsSuccour and strength, when Zion calls. Well […]

Psalm 21:1. C. M.Our king is the care of heaven. The king, O Lord, with songs of praise,Shall in thy strength rejoice;And, blest with thy salvation, raiseTo heaven his cheerful voice. Thy sure defence, thro’ nations round,Has spread his glorious name;And his successful actions crown’dWith majesty and fame. Then let the king on God aloneFor […]

Psalm 19:1. First Part. S. M.The book of nature and scripture. For a Lord’s-day morning. Behold the lofty skyDeclares its maker God,And all his starry works on highProclaim his power abroad. The darkness and the lightStill keep their course the same;While night to day, and day to nightDivinely teach his name. In every different landTheir […]

Psalm 19:2. Second Part. S. M.God’s word most excellent; or,Sincerity and watchfulness. For a Lord’s-day morning. Behold the morning sunBegins his glorious way;His beams thro’ all the nations run,And life and light convey. But where the gospel comes,It spreads diviner light,It calls dead sinners from their tombs,And gives the blind their sight. How perfect is […]

Psalm 19:3. L. M.The books of nature and of scripture compared;or, The glory and success of the gospel. The heavens declare thy glory, Lord,In every star thy wisdom shines;But when our eyes behold thy wordWe read thy name in fairer lines. The rolling sun, the changing light,And nights and days thy power confess;But the blest […]

Psalm 18:2. 20-26. Second Part. L. M.Sincerity proved and rewarded. Lord, thou hast seen my soul sincere,Hast made thy truth and love appear;Before mine eyes I set thy laws,And thou hast own’d my righteous cause. Since I have learnt thy holy ways,I’ve walk’d upright before thy face;Or if my feet did e’er depart,‘Twas never with […]

Psalm 18:3. 30 31 34 35 46. 3d Part. L. M.Rejoicing in God; or, Salvation and triumph. Just are thy ways, and true thy word,Great rock of my secure abode;Who is a God beside the Lord?Or where’s a refuge like our God? ‘Tis he that girds me with his might,Gives me his holy sword to […]

Psalm 18:4. First Part. C. M.Victory and triumph over temporal enemies. We love thee, Lord, and we adore,Now is thine arm reveal’d;Thou art our strength, our heavenly 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 […]

Psalm 18:5. Second Part. C. M.The conqueror’s song. To thine almighty arm we oweThe triumphs of the dayThy 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 scaleThe proudest of their towers. How have we chas’d them thro’ the field,And […]

Portion of saints and sinners;or, Hope and despair in death. Arise, my gracious God,And make the wicked flee;They are but thy chastising rodTo drive thy saints to thee. Behold the sinner dies,His haughty words are vain;Here in this life his pleasure lies,And all beyond is pain. Then let his pride advance,And boast of all his […]

The sinner’s portion, and saint’s hope; or, Theheaven of separate souls, and the resurrection. Lord, I am thine; but thou wilt proveMy faith, my patience, and my love;When men of spite against me join,They are the sword, the hand is thine. Their hope and portion lies below;‘Tis all the happiness they know,‘Tis all they seek; […]

Psalm 18:1. 1-6 15-18. First Part. L. M.Deliverance from despair; or, Temptations overcome. Thee will I love, O Lord, my strength,My rock, my tower, my high defence,Thy mighty arm shall be my trust,For I have found salvation thence. Death, and the terrors of the graveStood round me with their dismal shade;While floods of high temptations […]

Courage in death, and hope of the resurrection. When God is nigh, my faith is strong,His arm is my almighty prop:Be glad, my heart; rejoice, my tongue,My dying flesh shall rest in hope. Tho’ in the dust I lay my head,Yet, gracious God, thou wilt not leaveMy soul for ever with the dead,Nor lose thy […]

Support and counsel from God without merit. Save me, O Lord, from every foe;In thee my trust I place,Tho’ all the good that I can doCan ne’er deserve thy grace. Yet if my God prolong my breathThe saints may profit by’t;The saints, the glory of the earth,The men of my delight. Let heathens to their […]

The death and resurrection of Christ. 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 […]

The folly of persecutors. Are sinners now so senseless grownThat they thy 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 […]

Characters of a saint; or, a citizen of Zion;or, The qualifications of a Christian. Who shall inhabit in thy hill,O God of holiness?Whom will the Lord admit to dwellSo 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 […]

Religion and justice, goodness and truth;or, Duties to God and man;or, The qualifications of a Christian. Who shall ascend thy heavenly place,Great God, and dwell before thy face?The man that minds religion now,And humbly walks with God below: Whose hands are pure, whose heart is clean,Whose lips still speak the thing they mean;No slanders dwell […]

Confession of our poverty, and saints the bestcompany; or, Good works profit men, not God. Preserve me, Lord, in time of needFor succour to thy throne I flee,But have no merits there to plead;My goodness cannot reach to thee. Oft have my heart and tongue confestHow empty and how poor I am;My praise can never […]

Christ’s all-sufficiency. How fast their guilt and sorrows riseWho haste to seek some idol god!I will not taste their sacrifice,Their offerings of forbidden blood. My God provides a richer cup,And nobler food to live upon;He for my life has offer’d upJesus, his best beloved Son. His love is my perpetual feast;By day his counsels guide […]

Pleading with God under desertion;or, Hope, in darkness. How long, 0 Lord, shall I complainLike one that seeks his God in vain?Canst thou thy face for ever hide?And I still pray and be deny’d? Shall I for ever be forgotAs one whom thou regardest not?Still shall my soul thine absence mourn?And still despair of thy […]

Complaint under temptations of the devil. How long wilt thou conceal thy face?My God, how long delay?When shall I feel those heavenly raysThat chase my fears away? How long shall my poor labouring soulWrestle and toil in vain?Thy word can all my foes control,And ease my raging pain. See how the prince of darkness triesAll […]

By nature all men are sinners. Fools in their hearts 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 profaneCorrupt discourse proceeds;And in their impious hands are foundAbominable deeds. The Lord, from his celestial throneLook’d down on things below,To find the […]

God loves the righteous and hates the wicked. My refuge is the God of love;Why do my foes insult and cry,“Fly like a timorous trembling dove,“To distant woods or mountains fly”? If government be all destroy’d(That firm foundation of our peace)And violence make justice void,Where shall the righteous seek redress? The Lord in heaven has […]

The saint’s safety and hope in evil times;or, Sins of the tongue complained of,viz, blasphemy, falsehood, etc. Lord, if thou dost not soon appear,Virtue and truth will fly away;A faithful man, amongst us here,Will scarce be found if thou delay. The whole discourse, when neighbours meet,Is fill’d with trifles loose and vain;Their lips are flattery […]

Complaint of a general corruption of manners; or,The promise and signs of Christ’s coming to judgment. 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 […]

Second Part. L. M.Adam and Christ, lords ofthe old and the new creation. Lord, what was man, when made at first,Adam the offspring of the dust,That thou shouldst set him and his raceBut just below an angel’s place? That thou shouldst raise his nature soAnd make him lord of all below;Make every beast and bird […]

Wrath and mercy from the judgment-seat. With my whole heart I’ll raise my song,Thy wonders I’ll proclaim;Thou sov’reign judge of right and wrongWilt put my foes to shame. I’ll sing thy majesty and grace;My God prepares his throneTo judge the world in righteousnessAnd make his vengeance known. Then shall the Lord a refuge proveFor all […]

The wisdom and equity of providence. 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 deathDoes his own children raise:In Zion’s gates, with cheerful breath,They sing their Father’s praise. His foes shall fail with heedless feetInto the […]

Prayer heard, and saints saved; or, Pride,Atheism, and oppression punished. For a humiliation day. 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 derideThy justice and thy pow’r?Shall they advance their heads in pride,And still thy saints devour? They put […]

God’s care of his people andpunishment of persecutors. My trust is in my heavenly Friend,My hope in thee, my God;Rise and my helpless life defendFrom those that seek my blood. With insolence and fury theyMy soul in pieces tear,As hungry lions rend the preyWhen no deliverer’s near. If I had e’er provok’d them first,Or once […]

God’s sovereignty and goodness; andman’s dominion over the creatures. O Lord, our heavenly King,Thy name is all divine;Thy glories round the earth are spread,And o’er the heavens they shine. When to thy works on highI raise my wondering eyes,And see the moon complete in lightAdorn the darksome skies: When I survey the stars,And all their […]

Christ’s condescension andglorification; or, God made man. O Lord, our Lord, how wondrous greatIs thine exalted name!The glories of thy heavenly stateLet 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 […]

First Part. L. M.The Hosanna of the children;or, Infants praising God. Almighty Ruler of the skies,Thro’ the wide earth thy name is spread,And thine eternal glories riseO’er all the heavens thy hands have made. To thee the voices of the youngA monument of honour raise;And babes, with uninstructed tongue,Declare the wonders of thy praise. Thy […]

For the Lord’s day morning. Lord, in the morning thou shalt hearMy voice ascending high;To thee will I direct my prayer,To thee lift up mine eye; Up to the hills where Christ is goneTo plead for all his saints,Presenting at his Father’s throneOur songs and our complaints. Thou art a God before whose sightThe wicked […]

Complaint in sickness;or, diseases healed. In anger, Lord, rebuke me not,Withdraw the dreadful storm;Nor let thy fury grow so hotAgainst a feeble worm. My soul’s bow’d down with heavy cares,My flesh with pain oppress’d;My couch is witness to my tears,My tears forbid my rest. Sorrow and pain wear out my days;I waste the night with […]

Temptations in sickness overcome. Lord, I can suffer thy rebukes,When thou with kindness dost chastiseBut thy fierce wrath I cannot bear,O let it not against me rise! Pity my languishing estate,And ease the sorrows that I feel;The wounds thine heavy hand hath made,O let thy gentler touches heal. See how I pass my weary daysIn […]

Psalm 3:2. 1 2 3 4 5 8. L. M.A morning Psalm. O Lord, how many are my foes,In this weak state of flesh and blood!My peace they daily discompose,But my defence and hope is God. Tir’d with the burdens of the day,To thee I rais’d an evening cry;Thou heardst when I began to pray,And […]

Psalm 4:1. 1 2 3 5 6 7. L. M.Hearing prayer; or, God ourportion, and Christ our hope. O God of grace and righteousness,Hear and attend when I complain;Thou hast enlarg’d me in distress,Bow down a gracious ear again. Ye sons of men, in vain ye tryTo turn my glory into shame;How long will scoffers […]

Psalm 4:2. 3 4 5 8. C. M.An evening Psalm. Lord, thou wilt hear me when I prayI am for ever thine:I fear before thee all the day,Nor would I dare to sin. And while I rest my weary headFrom cares and business free,‘Tis sweet conversing on my bedWith my own heart and thee. I […]

Translated according to the divine pattern,Acts iv. 24 etc. Christ dying, rising, interceding, and reigning. [Maker and sovereign LordOf heaven, and earth, and seas,Thy providence confirms thy word,And answers thy decrees. The things so long foretoldBy David are fulfill’d,When Jews and Gentiles join to slayJesus, thine holy child.] Why did the Gentiles rage,And Jews with […]

The same. Why did the nations join to slayThe 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 thro’. “I call him my Eternal Son,“And raise him from the dead;“I make my […]

Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension. Why did the Jews proclaim their rage?The Romans why their swords employ?Against the Lord their powers engageHis dear anointed to destroy? “Come, let us break his bands,” they say,“This man shall never give us laws;”And thus they cast his yoke away,And nail’d the monarch to the cross. But God, who […]

Doubts and fears supprest; or, Godour defence from sin and Satan. 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 persuadeThere’s no relief in heaven;And all my swelling sins appearToo big to be forgiven. But thou, my glory and my strength,Shalt on […]

Psalm 1:1. Common MetreThe way and end of the righteous and the wicked. Blest is the man who shuns the placeWhere sinners love to meet;Who fears to tread their wicked ways,And hates the scoffer’s seat: But in the statutes of the LordHas plac’d his chief delight;By day he reads or hears the word,And meditates by […]

The saint happy, the sinner miserable. The man is ever blestWho shuns the sinner’s ways,Among their counsels never stands,Nor takes the scorner’s place; But makes the Law of GodHis study and delight,Amidst the labours of the day,And watches of the night. He like a tree shall thrive,With waters near the root:Fresh as the leaf his […]

The difference between the righteous and the wicked. Happy the man whose cautious feetShun the broad way that sinners go,Who hates the place where atheists meet,And fears to talk as scoffers do. He loves t’ employ his morning lightAmongst the statutes of the Lord:And spends the wakeful hours at night,With pleasure pondering o’er the word. […]

These Emmets, how little they are in our eyes!We tread them to dust, and a troop of them dies,Without our regard or concern:Yet, as wise as we are, if we went to their school,There’s many a sluggard and many a foolSome lessons of wisdom might learn. They wear not their time out in sleeping or […]

Though I’m now in younger days,Nor can tell what shall befall me,I’ll prepare for every placeWhere my growing age shall call me. Should I e’er be rich or great,Others shall partake my goodness:I’ll supply the poor with meat,Never showing scorn or rudeness. Where I see the blind or lame,Deaf or dumb, I’ll kindly treat them:I […]

How fine has the day been! how bright was the sun!How lovely and joyful the course that he run;Though he rose in a mist when his race he begun,And there followed some droppings of rain:But now the fair traveller’s come to the west,His rays are all gold, and his beauties are best;He paints the skies […]

Abroad in the meadows to see the young lambs,Run sporting about by the side of their damsWith fleeces so clean, and so white;Or a nest of young doves in a large open cage,When they play all in love without anger or rage,How much may we learn from the sight! If we had been ducks, we […]

Matt. 22. 37. With all thy Soul love God above;And as thyself thy Neighbour love.

Matt. 7. 12. Be you to others Kind and True,As you’d have others be to you.And neither do nor say to MenWhate’er you would not take again.

Love God with all your Soul and Strength.With all your Heart and Mind;And love your Neighbour as your self:Be faithful, just, and kind. Deal with another as you’d haveAnother deal with you.What you’re unwilling to receive,Be sure you never do.

Long Metre. Hosanna to king David’s Son,Who reigns on a superior Throne;We bless the Prince of Heav’nly Birth,Who brings Salvation down to Earth. Let every nation, every age,In this delightful work engage;Old Men and Babes in Sion singThe growing glories of her King! Common Metre. Hosanna to the Prince of Grace;Sion behold thy King;Proclaim the […]

1 This is the day when Christ aroseSo early from the dead:Why should I my eyelids close,And waste my hours in bed? This is the day when Jesus brokeThe powers of death and hell;And shall I still wear Satan’s yoke,And love my sins so well? To-day, with pleasure, Christians meet,To pray, and hear thy Word;And […]

Lord, how delightful `tis to seeA whole assembly worship thee!At once they sing, at once they pray;They hear of heaven, and learn the way. I have been there, and still would go‘Tis like a little heaven below!Not all my pleasure and my playShould tempt me to forget this day. O write upon my memory, Lord,The […]

Exodus. Chapter 20. 1. Thou shalt have no more Gods but me.2. Before no idol bow thy knee.3. Take not the Name of God in vain:4. Nor dare the Sabbath Day profane.5. Give both thy parents honour due.6. Take heed that thou no murder do.7. Abstain from words and deeds unclean:8. Nor steal, though thou […]

Why should I love my sports so well,So constant at my play,And lose the thoughts of heaven and hell,And then forget to pray? What do I read my Bible for,But, Lord, to learn thy will?And shall I daily know thee more,And less obey thee still? How senseless is my heart, and wild!How vain are all […]

My God, who makes the sun to knowHis proper hour to rise;And, to give light to all below,Doth send him round the skies: When from the chambers of the eastHis morning race begins,He never tires, nor stops to rest,But round the world he shines. So, like the sun, would I fulfilThe business of the day;Begin […]

How doth the little busy beeImprove each shining hour,And gather honey all the dayFrom every opening flower! How skilfully she builds her cell!How neat she spreads the wax!And labours hard to store it wellWith the sweet food she makes. In works of labour or of skillI would be busy too:For Satan finds some mischief stillFor […]

Why should I join with those in playIn whom I’ve no delight;Who curse and swear, but never play;Who call ill names, and fight? I hate to hear a wanton song:Their words offend my ears:I should not dare defile my tongueWith language such as theirs. Away from fools I’ll turn my eyes,Nor with the scoffers go:I […]

Why should our garments, made to hideOur parents’ shame, provoke our pride?The art of dress did ne’er beginTill Eve our mother learnt to sin. When first she put the covering on,Her robe of innocence was gone;And yet her children vainly boastIn the sad marks of glory lost. How proud we are! how fond to shewOur […]

Let children that would fear the LordHear what their teachers say;With reverence meet their parents’ word,And with delight obey. Have you not heard what dreadful plaguesAre threaten’d by the Lord,To him that breaks his father’s law,Or mocks his mother’s word? What heavy guilt upon him lies!How cursed is his name!The ravens shall pick out his […]

Let dogs delight to bark and bite,For God has made them so;Let bears and lyons growl and fight,For `tis their nature too. But, children, you should never letSuch angry passions rise;Your little hands were never madeTo tear each other’s eyes. Let love thro’ all your actions run,And all your words be mild;Live like the blessed […]

What ever brawls are in the streetThere should be peace at home;Where sisters dwell and brothers meetQuarrels shou’d never come. Birds in their little nests agree;And `tis a shameful sight,When children of one familyFall out, and chide, and fight. Hard names at first, and threatening words,That are but noisy breath,May grow to clubs and naked […]

Our tongues were made to bless the Lord,And not speak ill of men:When others give a railing word,We must not rail again. Cross words and angry names requireTo be chastiz’d at school;And he’s in danger of hell-fire,That calls his brother, fool. But lips that dare be so prophaneTo mock and jeer and scoffAt holy things, […]

Angels that high in glory dwellAdore thy Name, Almighty God!And devils tremble down in hellBeneath the terrors of thy rod. And yet how wicked children dareAbuse thy dreadful glorious Name!And when they’re angry, how they swear,And curse their fellows, and blaspheme! How will they stand before thy face,Who treated thee with such disdain,While thou shalt […]

Happy’s the child whose youngest yearsReceive instruction well;Who hates the sinner’s path, and fearsThe road that leads to hell. When we devote our youth to God,‘Tis pleasing in his eyes;A flower, when offer’d in the bud,Is no vain sacrifice. ‘Tis easier work if we beginTo fear the Lord betimes;While sinners that grow old in sinAre […]

Why should I say, “`Tis yet too soon“To seek for heaven or think of death?”A flower may fade before `tis noon,And I this day may lose my breath. If this rebellious heart of mine,Despise the gracious calls of Heaven;may be hard’ned in my sin,And never have repentance given. What if the Lord grow wroth, and […]

What blest examples do I findWrit in the Word of Truth,Of children that began to mindReligion in their youth. Jesus, who reigns above the skie,And keeps the world in awe;Was once a child as young as I,And kept his Father’s law. At twelve years old he talk’d with men,(The Jews all wondering stand;)Yet he obey’d […]

O `tis a lovely thing for youthTo walk betimes in wisdom’s way;To fear a lye, to speak the truth,That we may trust to all they say. But lyars we can never trust,Though they should speak the thing that’s true,And he that does one fault at first,And lyes to hide it, makes it two. Have we […]

Great God, with wonder and with praise,On all thy works I look;But still thy wisdom, power and graceShine brighter in thy Book. The stars that in their courses roll,Have much instruction given;But thy good Word informs my soulHow I may climb to heaven. The fields provide me food, and showThe goodness of the Lord;But fruits […]

The praises of my tongueI offer to the Lord,That I was taught, and learnt so youngTo read his holy Word. That I am taught to knowThe danger I was in,By nature and by practice tooA wretched slave to sin. That I am led to seeI can do nothing well;And whither shall a sinner flee,To save […]

Almighty God, thy piercing eyeStrikes through the shades of night,And our most secret actions lieAll open to thy sight. There’s not a sin that we commit,Nor wicked word we say,But in thy dreadful book `tis writAgainst the judgment-day. And must the crimes that I have doneBe read and publish’d there,Be all exposed before the sun,While […]

There is a God that reigns above,Lord of the heavens, and earth, and seas:I fear his wrath, I ask his love,And with my lips I sing his praise. There is a law which he has writ,To teach us all what we must do;My soul, to his commands submit,For they are holy, just and true. There […]

I sing th’ almighty power of God,That made the mountains rise,That spread the flowing seas abroad,And built the lofty skies. I sing the wisdom that ordain’dThe sun to rule the day;The moon shines full at his command,And all the stars obey. I sing the goodness of the Lord,That fill’d the earth with food;He form’d the […]

Blest be the wisdom and the power,The justice and the grace,That join’d in council to restoreAnd save our ruin’d race! Our father eat forbidden fruit,And from his glory fell;And we, his children, thus were broughtTo death, and near to hell. Blest be the Lord, that sent his SonTo take our flesh and blood;He for our […]

Whene’er I take my walks abroad,How many poor I see?What shall I render to my GodFor all his gifts to me? Not more than others I deserve,Yet God hath given me more;For I have food, while others starve,Or beg from door to door. How many children in the streetHalf naked I behold?While I am clothed […]

Great God, to thee my voice I raise,To thee my youngest hours belong;I would begin my life with praise,Till growing years improve the song. ‘Tis to thy soveraign grace I owe,That I was born on Brittish ground,Where streams of heavenly mercy flow,And words of sweet salvation sound. I would not change my native landFor rich […]

Lord, I ascribe it to thy grace,And not to chance as others do,That I was born of Christian race,And not a Heathen, or a Jew. What would the ancient Jewish kings,And Jewish prophets once have given,Could they have heard these glorious things,Which Christ reveal’d, and brought from heav’n! How glad the Heathens would have been,That […]

The Hosanna;or, Salvation ascribed to Christ. Hosanna to King David’s Son,Who reigns on a superior throne;We bless the Prince of heavenly birthWho brings salvation down to earth. Let every nation, every age,In this delightful work engage;Old men and babes in Sion singThe growing glories of her King.

Hosanna to the Prince of Grace,Sion, behold her King;Proclaim the Son of David’s race,And teach the babes to sing. Hosanna to th’ incarnate Word,Who from the Father came;Ascribe salvation to the Lord,With blessings on his Name.

Hosanna to the SonOf David and of God,Who brought the news of pardon down,And bought it with his blood, To Christ th’ anointed KingBe endless blessings given,Let the whole earth his glory singWho made our peace with heaven.

Hosanna to the KingOf David’s ancient blood;Behold he comes to bringForgiving grace from God:Let old and youngAttend his way,And at his feetTheir honours lay. Glory to God on high,Salvation to the Lamb;Let earth, and sea, and skyHis wondrous love proclaim:Upon his headShall honours rest,And every agePronounce him blest.

How glorious is our Heavenly King,Who reigns above the sky!How shall a child presume to singHis dreadful majesty? How great his power is none can tell,Nor think how large his grace;Not men below, nor saints that dwellOn high before his face. Not angels that stand round the LordCan search his secret will;But they perform his […]

The 2d, as the 148th Psalm. To Him that chose us firstBefore the world began,To Him that bore the curseTo save rebellious man,To Him that form’dOur hearts anew,Is endless praiseAnd glory due. The Father’s love shall runThro’ our immortal songs,We bring to God the SonHosannas on our tongues:Our lips addressThe Spirit’s NameWith equal praise,And zeal […]

The 3d, as the 148th Psalm. To God the Father’s thronePerpetual honours raise;Glory to God the Son,To God the Spirit praise:And while our lipsTheir tribute bring,Our faith adoresThe name we sing.

Or thus: To our eternal God,The Father and the Son,And Spirit all divine,Three mysteries in one,Salvation, power,And praise be givenBy all on earthAnd all in heaven.

Or thus: Honour to thee, almighty Three,And everlasting One;All glory to the Father be,The Spirit, and the Son.

Ye angels round the throneAnd saints that dwell below,Worship the Father, love the Son,And bless the Spirit too.

Or thus: Give to the Father praise,Give glory to the Son,And to the Spirit of his graceBe equal honour done.

A song of praise to the blessed Trinity. The 1st, as the 148th Psalm. I give immortal praiseTo God the Father’s loveFor all my comforts here,And better hopes above;He sent his ownEternal Son,To die for sinsThat man had done. To God the Son belongsImmortal glory too,Who bought us with his bloodFrom everlasting woe;And now he […]

Let God the Maker’s nameHave honour, love and fear,To God the Saviour pay the same,And God the Comforter. Father of lights above,Thy mercy we adore,The Son of thy eternal loveAnd Spirit of thy power.

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.

Or thus: All glory to thy wondrous Name,Father of mercy, God of love,Thus we exalt the Lord, the Lamb,And thus we praise the heavenly Dove.

Now let the Father and the SonAnd Spirit be ador’d,Where there are works to make him known,Or saints to love the Lord.

Glory to God the Father’s Name,Who, from our sinful race,Chose out his favourites to proclaimThe honours of his grace. Glory to God the Son be paid,Who dwelt in humble clay,And, to redeem us from the dead,Gave his own life away. Glory to God the Spirit give,From whose almighty powerOur souls their heavenly birth derive,And bless […]

Let God the Father liveFor ever on our tongues;Sinners from his first love deriveThe ground of all their songs. Ye saints, employ your breathIn honour to the Son,Who bought your souls from hell and deathBy offering up his own. Give to the Spirit praiseOf an immortal strain,Whose light and power and grace conveysSalvation down to […]

Glory to God the TrinityWhose name has mysteries unknown;In essence One, in person Three;A social nature, yet alone. When all our noblest powers are join’dThe honours of thy Name to raise,Thy glories over-match our mind,And angels faint beneath the praise.

The God of mercy be ador’d,Who calls our souls from death,Who saves by his redeeming word,And new-creating breath. To praise the Father and the SonAnd Spirit all divine,The One in Three, and Three in One,Let saints and angels join.

Grace and glory by the death of Christ. [Sitting around our Father’s boardWe raise our tuneful breath;Our faith beholds her dying Lord,And dooms our sins to death.] We see the blood of Jesus shed,Whence all our pardons rise;The sinner views th’ atonement made,And loves the sacrifice. Thy cruel thorns, thy shameful crossProcure us heavenly crowns;Our […]

Pardon and strength from Christ. Father, we wait to feel thy grace,To see thy glories shine;The Lord will his own table bless,And make the feast divine. We touch, we taste the heavenly bread,We drink the sacred Cup;With outward forms our sense is fed,Our souls rejoice in hope. We shall appear before the throneOf our forgiving […]

Divine glories, and our graces. How are thy glories here display’d,Great God, how bright they shine,While at thy word we break the bread,And pour the flowing wine! Here thy revenging justice standsAnd pleads its dreadful cause;Here saving mercy spreads her handsLike Jesus on the cross. Thy saints attend with every graceOn this great sacrifice;And love […]

A song of praise to the ever-blessed Trinity,God in Father, Son, and Spirit. Bless’d be the Father and his love:To whose celestial source we oweRivers of endless joy above,And rills of comfort here below. Glory to thee, great Son of God,From whose dear wounded body rollsA precious stream of vital blood,Pardon and life for dying […]

Glory in the cross; or, Not ashamedof Christ crucified. At thy command, our dearest Lord,Here we attend thy dying feast;Thy blood like wine adorns thy board,And thine own flesh feeds every guest. Our faith adores thy bleeding love,And trusts for life in one that dy’d;We hope for heavenly crowns aboveFrom a Redeemer crucify’d. Let the […]

The provisions for the table of our Lord; or, Thetree of life, and river of love. Lord, we adore thy bounteous hand,And sing the solemn feastWhere sweet celestial dainties standFor every willing guest. [The tree of life adorns the boardWith rich immortal fruit,And ne’er an angry flaming swordTo guard the passage to’t. The cup stands […]

The triumphal feast for Christ’s victoryover sin, and death, and hell. [Come let us lift our voices high,High as our joys arise,And join the songs above the sky,Where pleasure never dies. Jesus, the God that fought and bled,And conquer’d when he fell;That rose, and at his chariot-wheelsDragg’d all the powers of hell.] [Jesus the God […]

The compassion of a dying Christ. Our spirits join t’ adore the Lamb;O that our feeble lips could moveIn strains immortal as his Name,And melting as his dying love. Was ever equal pity found?The Prince of heaven resigns his breath,And pours his life out on the groundTo ransom guilty worms from death. [Rebels, we broke […]

Our Lord Jesus at his own table. [The memory of our dying LordAwakes a thankful tongue:How rich he spread his royal board,And blest the food, and sung. Happy the men that eat this bread,But double bless’d was heThat gently bow’d his loving head,And lean’d it, Lord, on thee. By faith the same delights we tasteAs […]

The agonies of Christ. Now let our pains be all forgot,Our hearts no more repine,Our sufferings are not worth a thought,When, Lord, compar’d with thine. In lively figures here we seeThe bleeding Prince of love;Each of us hope he dy’d for me,And then our griefs remove. [Our humble faith here takes her rise,While sitting round […]

Incomparable food; or,The flesh and blood of Christ. [We sing th’ amazing deedsThat grace divine performs;Th’ eternal God comes down and bleedsTo nourish dying worms. This soul reviving wine,Dear Saviour, ’tis thy blood;We thank that sacred flesh of thineFor this immortal food.] The banquet that we eatIs made of heavenly things,Earth hath no dainties half […]

The same. Jesus, we bow before thy feet,Thy table is divinely stor’d:Thy sacred flesh our souls have eat,‘Tis living bread; we thank thee, Lord! And here we drink our Saviour’s blood,We thank thee, Lord, ’tis generous wine;Mingled with love the fountain flow’dFrom that dear bleeding heart of thine. On earth is no such sweetness found,For […]

Pardon brought in our senses. Lord, how divine thy comforts are!How heavenly is the placeWhere Jesus spreads the sacred feastOf his redeeming grace! There the rich bounties of our God,And sweetest glories shine;There Jesus says, that “I am his,“And my Beloved’s mine.” “Here,” (says the kind redeeming Lord,And shews his wounded side)“See here the spring […]

The gospel feast, Luke 14. 16 etc. [How rich are thy provisions Lord!Thy table furnish’d from above,The fruits of life o’erspread the board,The cup o’erflows with heavenly love. Thine ancient family the Jews,Were first invited to the feast;We humbly take what they refuse,And Gentiles thy salvation taste. We are the poor, the blind, the lame,And […]

Divine love making a feast, and callingin the guests, Luke 14. 17 22 23. How sweet and awful is the placeWith Christ within the doors,While everlasting love displaysThe choicest of her stores! Here every bowel of our GodWith soft compassion rollsHere peace and pardon bought with bloodIs food for dying souls. [While all our hearts […]

The song of Simeon, Luke 2. 28;or, A sight of Christ makes death easy. Now have our hearts embrac’d our God,We would forget all earthly charms,And wish to die as Simeon would,With his young Saviour in his arms. Our lips should learn that joyful song,Were but our hearts prepar’d like his;Our souls still willing to […]

The memorial of our absent Lord,John 16. 16. Luke 22. 19. John 14. 3. Jesus is gone above the skies,Where our weak senses reach him notAnd carnal objects court our eyesTo thrust our Saviour from our thought. He knows what wandering hearts we have,Apt to forget his lovely face;And to refresh our minds he gaveThese […]

Crucifixion to the world by thecross of Christ, Gal. 6. 14. When I survey the wondrous crossOn which the Prince of Glory dy’d,My richest gain I count but loss,And pour contempt on all my pride. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,Save in the death of Christ my God;All the vain things that charm me […]

The tree of life. Come let us join a joyful tuneTo our exalted Lord,Ye saints on high around his throne,And we around his board. While once upon this lower groundWeary and faint ye stood,What dear refreshments here ye foundFrom this immortal food! The tree of life that near the throneIn heaven’s high garden grows,Laden with […]

The Spirit, the water, and the blood, John 5. 6. [Let all our tongues be oneTo praise our God on high,Who from his bosom sent his SonTo fetch us strangers nigh. Nor let our voices ceaseTo sing the Saviour’s Name;Jesus th’ ambassador of peace,How cheerfully he came! It cost him cries and tearsTo bring us […]

Christ crucified; the wisdom and power of God. Nature with open volume standsTo spread her Maker’s praise abroad;And every labour of his handsShews something worthy of a God. But in the grace that rescu’d manHis brightest form of glory shines;Here on the cross ’tis fairest drawnIn precious blood and crimson lines. [Here his whole name […]

Communion with Christ, and with saints,1 Cor. 10. 16 17. [Jesus invites his saintsTo meet around his board;Here pardon’d rebels sit, and holdCommunion with their Lord. For food he gives his flesh,He bids us drink his blood,Amazing favour! matchless graceOf our descending God!] This holy bread and wineMaintains our fainting breath,By union with our living […]

The new testament in the blood ofChrist; or, The new covenant sealed. “The promise of my Father’s love“Shall stand for ever good;”He said, and gave his soul to death,And seal’d the grace with blood. To this dear covenant of thy wordI set my worthless name;I seal th’ engagement to my Lord,And make my humble claim. […]

Christ’s dying love; or, Ourpardon bought at a dear price. How condescending and how kindWas God’s eternal Son!Our misery reach’d his heavenly mind,And pity brought him down. [When Justice by our sins provok’dDrew forth its dreadful sword,He gave his soul up to the stroke,Without a murmuring word.] [He sunk beneath our heavy woesTo raise us […]

Christ the bread of life, John 6. 31 35 39. Let us adore th’ eternal Word,‘Tis he our souls hath fed;Thou art our living stream, O Lord,And thou th’ immortal bread. [The manna came from lower skies,But Jesus from above,Where the fresh springs of pleasure riseAnd rivers flow with love. The Jews the fathers dy’d […]

The same. The Lord Jehovah reignsHis throne is built on high;The garments he assumesAre light and majesty;His glories shineWith beams so brightNo mortal eyeCan bear the sight. The thunders of his handKeep the wide world in awe;His wrath and justice standTo guard his holy law;And where his loveResolves to bless,His truth confirmsAnd seals the grace. […]

God incomprehensible and sovereign. Can creatures to perfection find [1]Th’ eternal uncreated mind?Or can the largest stretch of thoughtMeasure and search his nature out? ‘Tis high as heaven, ’tis deep as hell,And what can mortals know or tell?His glory spreads beyond the sky,And all the shining worlds on high. But man, vain man, would fain […]

The Lord’s Supper instituted,1 Corinthians 11:23 etc. ‘Twas on that dark, that doleful nightWhen powers of earth and hell aroseAgainst the Son of God’s delight,And friends betray’d him to his foes; Before the mournful scene beganHe took the bread, and bless’d, and brake:What love thro’ all his actions ran!What wondrous words of grace he spake! […]

Unfruitfulness, ignorance,and unsanctified affections. Long have I sat beneath the soundOf thy salvation, LordBut still how weak my faith is found,And knowledge of thy word! Oft I frequent thy holy placeAnd hear almost in vain;How small a portion of thy graceMy memory can retain! [My dear Almighty, and my God,How little art thou knownBy all […]

The divine perfections. How shall I praise th’ eternal God,That infinite unknown?Who can ascend his high abode,Or venture near his throne? [The great Invisible! he dwellsConceal’d in dazzling light;But his all-searching eye revealsThe secrets of the night. Those watchful eyes that never sleepSurvey the world around;His wisdom is a boundless deepWhere all our thoughts are […]

The divine perfections. Great God, thy glories shall employMy holy fear, my humble joy;My lips in songs of honour bringTheir tribute to th’ eternal King. [Earth and the stars and worlds unknown,Depend precarious on his throne,All nature hangs upon his word,And grace and glory own their Lord.] [His sovereign power what mortal knows?If he command […]

The same. Jehovah reigns, his throne is high,His robes are light and majesty;His glory shines with beams so brightNo mortal can sustain the sight. His terrors keep the world in awe,His justice guards his holy law;His love reveals a smiling face,His truth and promise seal the grace. Thro’ all his works his wisdom shines,And baffles […]

Meditation of heaven;or, The joy of faith. My thoughts surmount these lower skiesAnd look within the veil;There springs of endless pleasure rise,The waters never fail. There I behold with sweet delightThe blessed Three in One;And strong affections fix my sightOn God’s incarnate Son. His promise stands for ever firm,His grace shall ne’er depart;He binds my […]

Complaint of desertion and temptations. Dear Lord, behold our sore distress;Our sins attempt to reign;Stretch out thine arm of conquering grace,And let thy foes be slain. [The lion with his dreadful roarAffrights thy feeble sheep;Reveal the glory of thy power,And chain him to the deep. Must we indulge a long despair,Shall our petitions die;Our mournings […]

The end of the world. Why should this earth delight us so?Why should we fix our eyesOn these low grounds where sorrows grow,And every pleasure dies? While time his sharpest teeth preparesOur comforts to devour,There is a land above the stars,And joys above his power. Nature shall be dissolv’d and die,The sun must end his […]

Few saved; or, The almost Christian,the hypocrite, and apostate. Broad is the road that leads to death,And thousands walk together there;But wisdom shews a narrower path,With here and there a traveller. “Deny thyself, and take thy cross,”Is the Redeemer’s great command;Nature must count her gold but drossIf she would gain this heavenly land. The fearful […]

An unconverted state;or, Converting grace. [Great King of Glory and of grace,We own with humble shame,How vile is our degenerate race,And our first father’s name.] From Adam flows our tainted blood,The poison reigns within,Makes us averse to all that’s good,And willing slaves to sin. [Daily we break thy holy laws,And then reject thy grace;Engag’d in […]

Custom in sin. Let the wild leopards of the woodPut off the spots that nature gives,Then may the wicked turn to God,And change their tempers and their lives. As well might Ethiopian slavesWash out the darkness of their skin;The dead as well might leave their graves,As old transgressors cease to sin. Where vice has held […]

Christian virtues; or, Thedifficulty of conversion. Strait is the way, the door is straitThat leads to joys on high;‘Tis but a few that find the gate,While crowds mistake and die. Beloved self must be deny’d,The mind and will renew’d:Passion suppress’d, and patience try’d,And vain desires subdu’d. [Flesh is a dangerous foe to grace,Where it prevails […]

Self-righteousness insufficient. “Where are the mourners, [1] (saith the Lord)“That wait and tremble at my word,“That walk in darkness all the day?“Come, make my name your trust and stay. [“No works nor duties of your own“Can for the smallest sin atone;“The robes [2] that nature may provide“Will not your least pollutions hide. “The softest couch […]

Christ our passover. Lo the destroying angel fliesTo Pharaoh’s stubborn land:The pride and flower of Egypt diesBy his vindictive hand. He pass’d the tents of Jacob o’er,Nor pour’d the wrath divine;He saw the blood on every door,And bless’d the peaceful sign. Thus th’ appointed Lamb must bleedTo break th’ Egyptian yoke;Thus Israel is from bondage […]

Presumption and despair;or, Satan’s various temptations. I hate the tempter and his charms,I hate his flattering breath;The serpent takes a thousand formsTo cheat our souls to death. He feeds our hopes with airy dreams,Or kills with slavish fear;And holds us still in wide extremes,Presumption, or despair. Now he persuades, “How easy ’tis“To walk the road […]

The same. Now Satan comes with dreadful roar,And threatens to destroy;He worries whom he can’t devourWith a malicious joy. Ye sons of God, oppose his rage,Resist, and he’ll be gone;Thus did our dearest Lord engageAnd vanquish him alone. Now he appears almost divineLike innocence and love,But the old serpent lurks withinWhen he assumes the dove. […]

The deceitfulness of sin. Sin has a thousand treacherous artsTo practise on the mind;With flattering looks she tempts our heartsBut leaves a sting behind. With names of virtue she deceivesThe aged and the young;And while the heedless wretch believes,She makes his fetters strong. She pleads for all the joys she brings,And gives a fair pretence;But […]

Prophesy and inspiration. ‘Twas by an order from the LordThe ancient prophets spoke his word;His Spirit did their tongues inspire,And warm’d their hearts with heavenly fire. The works and wonders which they wroughtConfirm’d the messages they brought;The prophet’s pen succeeds his breathTo save the holy words from death. Great God, mine eyes with pleasure lookOn […]

Sinai and Sion, Heb. 12. 18 etc. Not to the terrors of the Lord,The tempest, fire, and smoke,Not to the thunder of that wordWhich God on Sinai spoke; But we are come to Sion’s hill,The city of our God,Where milder words declare his willAnd spread his love abroad. Behold th’ innumerable hostOf angels cloth’d in […]

The distemper, folly, and madness of sin. Sin like a venomous diseaseInfects our vital blood;The only balm is sovereign grace,And the physician, God. Our beauty and our strength are fled,And we draw near to death;But Christ the Lord recalls the deadWith his almighty breath. Madness by nature reigns within,The passions burn and rage;Till God’s own […]

Sight through a glass, and face to face. I love the windows of thy graceThro’ which my Lord is seen,And long to meet my Saviour’s faceWithout a glass between. O, that the happy hour were comeTo change my faith to sight!I shall behold my Lord at homeIn a diviner light. Haste, my beloved, and removeThese […]

The vanity of creatures;or, No rest on earth. Man has a soul of vast desires,He burns within with restless fires;Tost to and fro, his passions flyFrom vanity to vanity. In vain on earth we hope to findSome solid good to fill the mind,We try new pleasures, but we feelThe inward thirst and torment still. So […]

The creation of the world, Gen. 1. “Now let a spacious world arise,”Said the Creator-Lord:At once the obedient earth and skiesRose at his sovereign word. [Dark was the deep; the waters layConfus’d and drown’d the land:He call’d the light; the new-born dayAttends on his command. He bids the clouds ascend on high;The clouds ascend and […]

God reconciled in Christ. Dearest of all the names aboveMy Jesus, and my God,Who can resist thy heavenly love,Or trifle with thy blood? ‘Tis by the merits of thy deathThe Father smiles again;‘Tis by thine interceding breathThe Spirit dwells with men. Till God in human flesh I see,My thoughts no comfort find;The holy, just, and […]

Honour to Magistrates; or,Government from God. Eternal Sovereign of the sky,And Lord of all below,We mortals to thy majestyOur first obedience owe. Our souls adore thy throne supreme,And bless thy providenceFor magistrates of meaner name,Our glory and defence. [The crowns of British princes shineWith rays above the rest,Where laws and liberties combineTo make the nation […]

Faith in Christ our sacrifice. Not all the blood of beastsOn Jewish altars slainCould give the guilty conscience peace,Or wash away the stain. But Christ the heavenly LambTakes all our sins away;A sacrifice of nobler nameAnd richer blood than they. My faith would lay her handOn that dear head of thine,While like a penitent I […]

Flesh and spirit. What different powers of grace and sinAttend our mortal state!I hate the thoughts that work within,And do the works I hate. Now I complain, and groan, and die,While sin and Satan reign:Now raise my songs of triumph high,For grace prevails again. So darkness struggles with the lightTill perfect day arise;Water and fire […]

The effusion of the Spirit; or,The success of the gospel. Great was the day, the joy was great,When the divine disciples met;Whilst on their heads the Spirit came,And sat like tongues of cloven flame. What gifts, what miracles he gave!And power to kill, and power to save!Furnish’d their tongues with wondrous words,Instead of shields, and […]

Miracles in the life, death,and resurrection of Christ. Behold the blind their sight receive;Behold the dead awake and live;The dumb speak wonders, and the lameLeap like the hart, and bless his Name. Thus doth th’ eternal Spirit ownAnd seal the mission of the Son;The Father vindicates his cause,While he hangs bleeding on the cross. He […]

The power of the gospel. This is the word of truth and love,Sent to the nations from above;Jehovah here resolves to shewWhat his almighty grace can do. This remedy did wisdom findTo heal diseases of the mind:This sovereign balm, whose virtues canRestore the ruin’d creature, man. The gospel bids the dead revive,Sinners obey the voice, […]

The example of Christ. My dear Redeemer and my Lord,I read my duty in thy word;But in thy life the law appearsDrawn out in living characters. Such was thy truth, and such thy zeal,Such deference to thy Father’s will,Such love, and meekness so divine,I would transcribe, and make them mine. Cold mountains and the midnight […]

The example: of Christ and the saints. Give me the wings of faith to riseWithin the veil, and seeThe saints above, how great their joys,How bright their glories be. Once they were mourning here below,And wet their couch with tears;They wrestled hard, as we do now,With sins, and doubts, and fears. I ask them whence […]

Faith assisted by sense; or, Preaching,baptism, and the Lord’s Supper. My Saviour-God, my Sovereign-PrinceReigns far above the skies;But brings his graces down to sense,And helps my faith to rise. My eyes and ears shall bless his Name,They read and hear his word;My touch and taste shall do the sameWhen they receive the Lord. Baptismal water […]

The offices of Christ. We bless the Prophet of the Lord,That comes with truth and grace;Jesus, thy Spirit and thy wordShall lead us in thy ways. We reverence our High Priest above,Who offer’d up his blood,And lives to carry on his love,By pleading with our God. We honour our exalted King,How sweet are his commands!He […]

The operations of the Holy Spirit. Eternal Spirit! we confessAnd sing the wonders of thy grace;Thy power conveys our blessings downFrom God the Father and the Son. Enlighten’d by thine heavenly rayOur shades and darkness turn to day;Thine inward teachings make us knowOur danger and our refuge too. Thy power and glory works within,And breaks […]

Circumcision abolished. The promise was divinely free,Extensive was the grace;“I will the God of Abrah’m be,“And of his numerous race.” He said; and with a bloody sealConfirm’d the words he spoke;Long did the Sons of Abrah’m feelThe sharp and painful yoke. Till God’s own Son, descending low,Gave his own flesh to bleed;And Gentiles taste the […]

Types and prophecies of Christ. Behold the woman’s promis’d seed!Behold the great Messiah come!Behold the prophets all agreedTo give him the superior room! Abrah’m the saint rejoic’d of oldWhen visions of the Lord he saw;Moses the man of God foretoldThis great fulfiller of his law. The types bore witness to his Name,Obtain’d their chief design, […]

Miracles at the birth of Christ. The King of Glory sends his SonTo make his entrance on this earth!Behold the midnight bright as noon,And heavenly hosts declare his birth! About the young Redeemer’s headWhat wonders and what glories meet!An unknown star arose, and ledThe eastern sages to his feet. Simeon and Anna both conspireThe Infant-Saviour […]

Corrupt nature from Adam. Bless’d with the joy of innocenceAdam, our father, stood,Till he debas’d his soul to sense,And ate th’ unlawful food. Now we are born a sensual race,To sinful joys inclin’d;Reason has lost its native place,And flesh enslaves the mind. While flesh and sense and passion reigns,Sin is the sweetest good:We fancy music […]

We walk by faith, not by sight. ‘Tis by the faith of joys to comeWe walk thro’ deserts dark as night;Till we arrive at heaven our home,Faith is our guide, and faith our light. The want of sight she well supplies,She makes the pearly gates appear;Far into distant worlds she pries,And brings eternal glories near. […]

The new creation. Attend while God’s exalted SonDoth his own glories shew;“Behold I sit upon my throneCreating all things new. “Nature and sin are pass’d away,And the old Adam dies;“My hands a new foundation lay,“See the new world arise. “I’ll be a sun of righteousness“To the new-heavens I make;“None but the new-born heirs of grace“My […]

The excellency of the Christian religion. Let everlasting glories crownThy head, my Saviour and my Lord;Thy hands have brought salvation down,And writ the blessings in thy word. [What if we trace the globe around,And search from Britain to Japan,There shall be no religion foundSo just to God, so safe for man.] In vain the trembling […]

The benefit of public ordinances. Away from every mortal care,Away from earth our souls retreat;We leave this worthless world afar,And wait and worship near thy seat. Lord, in the temple of thy graceWe see thy feet, and we adore;We gaze upon thy lovely face,And learn the wonders of thy power. While here our various wants […]

Moses, Aaron, and Joshua. ‘Tis not the law of ten commandsOn holy Sinai given,Or sent to men by Moses’ hands,Can bring us safe to heaven. ‘Tis not the blood which Aaron spilt,Nor smoke of sweetest smell,Can buy a pardon for our guilt,Or save our souls from hell. Aaron the priest resigns his breathAt God’s immediate […]

Faith and repentance; unbelief and impenitence. Life and immortal joys are givenTo those that mourn the sins they’ve done,Children of wrath made heirs of heavenBy faith in God’s eternal Son. Woe to the wretch that never feltThe inward pangs of pious grief,But adds to all his crying guiltThe stubborn sin of unbelief. The law condemns […]

God glorified in the gospel. The Lord, descending from above,Invites his children near,While power and truth and boundless loveDisplay their glories here. Here in thy gospel’s wondrous frameFresh wisdom we pursue;A thousand angels learn thy NameBeyond whate’er they knew. Thy Name is writ in fairest lines,Thy wonders here we trace;Wisdom thro’ all the mystery shines,And […]

Circumcision and baptism.(Written only for thosewho practise infant baptism.) Thus did the sons of Abrah’m passUnder the bloody seal of grace;The young disciples bore the yoke,Till Christ the painful bondage broke. By milder ways doth Jesus proveHis Father’s covenant, and his love;He seals to saints his glorious grace,And not forbids their infant race. Their seed […]

The law and gospel joined in scripture. The Lord declares his will,And keeps the world in awe;Amidst the smoke on Sinai’s hillBreaks out his fiery law. The Lord reveals his face,And smiling from above,Sends down the gospel of his grace,Th’ epistles of his love. These sacred words impartOur Maker’s just commands;The pity of his melting […]

The law and gospel distinguished. The law commands, and makes us knowWhat duties to our God we owe;But ’tis the gospel must revealWhere lies our strength to do his will. The law discovers guilt and sin,And shews how vile our hearts have been;Only the gospel can expressForgiving love and cleansing grace. What curses doth the […]

Retirement and meditation. My God, permit me not to beA stranger to myself and thee;Amidst a thousand thoughts I roveForgetful of my highest love. Why should my passions mix with earth,And thus debase my heavenly birth?Why should I cleave to things below,And let my God, my Saviour go? Call me away from flesh and sense,One […]

God the avenger of his saints; or, His kingdom. High as the heavens above the groundReigns the Creator God;Wide as the whole creation’s boundExtends his awful rod. Let princes of exalted stateTo him ascribe their crown,Render their homage at his feet,And cast their glories down. Know that his kingdom is supreme,Your lofty thoughts are vain;He […]

Mercies and thanks. How can I sink with such a propAs my eternal God,Who bears the earth’s huge pillars up,And spreads the heavens abroad? How can I die while Jesus lives,Who rose and left the dead?Pardon and grace my soul receivesFrom mine exalted head. All that I am, and all I haveShall be for ever […]

Living and dying with God present. I cannot bear thine absence, Lord,My life expires if thou depart;Be thou, my heart, still near my God,And thou, my God, be near my heart. I was not born for earth and sin,Nor can I live on things so vile;Yet I would stay my Father’s time,And hope and wait […]

The priesthood of Christ. Blood has a voice to pierce the skiesRevenge, the blood of Abel cries;But the dear stream when Christ was slainSpeaks Peace as loud from ev’ry vein. Pardon and peace from God on high,Behold he lays his vengeance by,And rebels that deserv’d his sword,Become the favourites of the Lord. To Jesus let […]

The holy scriptures. Laden with guilt, and full of fears,I fly to thee, my Lord,And not a glimpse of hope appears,But in thy written word. The volume of my Father’s graceDoes all my griefs assuage:Here I behold my Saviour’s faceAlmost in every page. [This is the field where hidden liesThe pearl of price unknown,That merchant […]

The same. The majesty of Solomon!How glorious to beholdThe servants waiting round his throne,The ivory and the gold. But, mighty God, thy palace shinesWith far superior beams;Thine angel-guards are swift as winds,Thy ministers are flames. [Soon as thine only Son had madeHis entrance on this earth,A shining army downward fledTo celebrate his birth. And when […]

Christ’s death, victory and dominion. I sing my Saviour’s wondrous death;He conquer’d when he fell:‘Tis finish’d, said his dying breath,And shook the gates of hell. ‘Tis finish’d, our Immanuel cries,The dreadful work is done;Hence shall his sovereign throne arise,His kingdom is begun. His cross a sure foundation laidFor glory and renown,When thro’ the regions of […]