Page images
PDF
EPUB

1

The rains return, the ice distils,
And plains and hills forget to mourn.
2 The lofty mountains stand,
Establish'd by thine arm :
Thy voice the ocean stills,

The tumult, and the storm.

Thro' earth and skies, with terror spread,
Thy tokens dread, all lands surprise.
3 The morn with glory crown'd,
Thy hand arrays in smiles;
Thou bid'st the eve decline,
Rejoicing o'er the hills.

Soft suns ascend; the mild wind blows;.
And beauty glows to earth's far end.

4 Thou mak'st the pasture green;
Thou call'st the flocks abroad;
The springing corn proclaims
The footsteps of our God.
Both bird and beast partake thy care,
And happy share the gen'ral feast.
5 Thy show'rs make soft the fields
On ev'ry side, behold!

The rip'ning harvests wave
Their loads of richest gold.

The lab'rers sing with cheerful voice,
And, blest, rejoice in God their King.

6 The thunder is his voice;
His arrows blazing fires;
He glows in yonder sun,

And smiles in starry choirs.

The balmy breeze his breath perfumes ;
His beauty blooms, in flow'rs and trees.
7 With life he clothes the spring;
The earth with summer warms;

1

He spreads th' autumnal feast,
And rides in wintry storms.
His gifts divine thro' all appear,
And round the year his glories shine.

PSALM 66. First Part.

C. M.

Our graces tried by afflictions.

SING, all ye nations to the Lord,
Sing with a joyful noise;

With melody of sound record

His honours, and your joys.

2 Say to the Pow'r that shakes the sky,
"How terrible art thou!
“Sinners before thy presence fly,
"Or at thy feet they bow."
3 He rules by his resistless might;
Will rebel mortals dare

Provoke th' Eternal to the fight,

And tempt that dreadful war?

4 O bless our God, and never cease;
Ye saints fulfil his praise;

He keeps our life, maintains our peace;
And guides our doubtful ways.

5 Lord, thou hast prov'd our suff'ring souls, To make our graces shine:

So silver bears the burning coals,

The metal to refine.

6 Thro' wat'ry deeps, and fiery ways,
We march at thy command;
Led, to possess the promis'd place,
By thine unerring hand.

PSALM 66. Second Part. C. M
Praise to God for hearing prayer.
TOW shall my solemn vows be paid
To that Almighty Pow'r,

1

No

Who heard the long requests I made
In my distressful hour.

2 My lips and cheerful heart prepare
To make his mercies known:
Come, ye that fear my God, and hear
The wonders, he hath done.

3 When on my head huge sorrows fell,
I sought his heav'nly aid;
He sav'd my sinking soul from hell,
And death's eternal shade.

4 If sin lay cover'd in my heart,

While pray'r employ'd my tongue, The Lord had shown me no regard, Nor I his praises sung.

5 But God (his name be ever blest) Hath set my spirit free;

1

Nor turn'd from him my poor request,
Nor turn'd his heart from me.

PSALM 67. C. M.

The prosperity of the nation, and increase of the church.

SHINE on our land, Jehovah, shine,
With beams of heav'nly grace!

Reveal thy pow'r thro' all our coasts,
And show thy smiling face.

2 Here fix thy throne exalted high,
And, here, our glory stand;
And, like a wall of guardian fire,
Surround thy fav'rite land.

3 When shall thy name from shore to shore Sound all the earth abroad,

And distant nations know and love
Their Saviour and their God!

4 Sing to the Lord, ye distant lands,
Sing loud with solemn voice;

Let thankful tongues exalt his praise,
And thankful hearts rejoice.

5 He, the great Lord, the sov'reign Judge, That sits enthron'd above,

Wisely commands the worlds, he made,
In justice and in love.

6 Earth shall confess her Maker's hand,
And yield a full increase :

Our God will crown his chosen land
With fruitfulness and peace.

7 God, the Redeemer, scatters round
His choicest favours here;
While the creation's utmost bound
Shall see, adore, and fear.

PSALM 68. First Part. L. M.
The vengeance and compassion of God.

1LET God arise in all his might,
And put the troops of hell to flight:
As smoke, that sought to cloud the skies,
Before the rising tempest flies.

2 He rides and thunders thro' the sky;
His name Jehovah sounds on high;
Sing to his name, ye sons of grace :
Ye saints rejoice before his face.
3 The widow and the fatherless
Fly to his aid in sharp distress;
In him, the poor and helpless find
A Judge, that's just, a Father kind.
4 He breaks the captive's heavy chain,
And pris'ners see the light again;
But rebels, that dispute his will,
Shall dwell in chains and darkness still.
5 Kingdoms and thrones to God belong;
Crown him, ye nations, in your song:

[ocr errors]

His wond'rous names and pow'rs rehearse;
His honours shall enrich your verse.

5 He shakes the heav'ns with loud alarms;
How terrible is God in arms!

In Israel are his mercies known,
Israel is his peculiar throne.

7 Proclaim him King, pronounce him blest";
He's your defence, your joy, your rest:
When terrors rise, and nations faint,
God is the strength of ev'ry saint.

1 L

PSALM 68. Second Part. L. M.
The ascension of Christ, and the gift of the Spirit.
ORD, when thou did'st ascend on higħ,
Ten thousand angels fill'd the sky;
Those heav'nly guards around thee wait,
Like chariots, that attend thy state.

2 Not Sinai's mountain could appear
More glorious when the Lord was there;
While he pronounc'd his dreadful law,
And struck the chosen tribes with awe.
3 How bright the triumph none can tell,
When the rebellious pow'rs of hell,

[ocr errors]

That thousand souls had captive made,
Were all in chains like captives led.
4 Rais'd by his Father to the throne,
He sent the promis'd spirit down,
With gifts and grace for rebel men,
That God might dwell on earth again.

1

PSALM 68. Third Part. L. M.

Praise for 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

« PreviousContinue »