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 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 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 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 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 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 […]

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 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 […]

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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 […]