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PSALM 119. First Part. C. M.

. The blessedness of saints, and misery of sinners. 1 BLEST are the undefil'd in heart,

ways are right and clean ; Who never from thy law depart,

But fly from ev'ry sin. 2 Blest are the men that keep thy word,

And practise thy commands With their whole heart they seek the Lord,

And serve him with their hands. 3 Great is their peace who love thy law,

How firm their souls abide ! Nor can a bold temptation draw

Their steady feet aside. 4 Then shall my heart have inward joy,

And keep my face from shame; When all thy statutes I obey,

And honour all thy name. 5 But haughty sinners God will hate ;

The proad shall die accurst : The sons of falsehood and deceit

Are trodden to the dust.
6 Vile as the dross the wicked are;

And those that leave thy ways
Shall see salvation from afar,
But never taste thy grace.
PSALM 119, Second Part. C. M:

Spiritual mindedness.
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10 thee, before the dawning light;

My gracious God, I pray; I meditate thy name by night,

And keep thy law by day. 2 My spirit faints to see thy grace,

Thy promise bears me up;

And, while salvation long delays,

Thy word supports my hope.
3 Seven times a day I lift my hands,

And pay my thanks to thee:
Thy righteous providence demands

Repeated praise from me. 4 When midnight darkness veils the skies,

I call thy works to mind;
My thoughts in warm devotion rise,
And sweet acceptance find.
PSALM 119. Third Part. C. M.
Repentance and obedience.

: 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.
2 I choose the path of heav'nly truth,

And glory in my choice:
Not all the riches of the earth

Could make me so rejoice. 3 The testimonies of thy grace,

I set before mine eyes;
Thence I derive my daily strength;

And there my comfort lies.
4 If once I wander from thy path,

I think upon my ways;
Then turn my feet to thy commands,

And trust thy pard’ning grace. 5 Now I am thine, for ever thine,

O save thy servant, Lord !
Thou art my shield, my hiding-place;

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My hope is in thy word.
6 Thou hast inclin'd this heart of mine,

Thy statutes to fulfil :

And thus, 'till mortal life shall end,

Would I perform thy will.
PSALM 119. Fourth Part. C. M.

Instruction from scripture. 1 1 How shall the young secure their hearts,

OW

And guard their lives from sin ? Thy word the choicest rules imparts

To keep the conscience clean. 2 When once it penetrates the mind,

It spreads such light abroad; The meanest souls instruction find,

And raise their thoughts to God. 3 'Tis, like the sun, a heav'nly light

That guides us all the day :
And thro' the dangers of the night,

A lamp to lead our way.
4. The men that keep thy law with care,

And meditate thy word,
Grow wiser than their teachers are,

And better know the Lord.
5 Thy precepts make me truly wise ;

I hate the sinner's road :
I hate my own vain thoughts, that rise ;

But love thy law, my God.
6 The starry heav'ns thy rule obey;

The earth maintains her place :
And these thy servants night and day

Thy skill and pow'r express.
7. But still thy law and gospel, Lord,

Give lessons more divine;
Nor earth stands firmer than thy word,

Nor stars so nobly shine.
Thy word is everlasting truth;
How
pure

is ey’ry page!

That holy book shall guide our youth,
And well support our age.
PSALM 119. Fifth Part. C. M.

Delight in scripture.
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HOW I love thy holy law!

'Tis daily my delight:
And thence my meditations draw

Divine advice by night.
2 My waking eyes prevent the day,

To meditate thy word :
My soul with longing melts away, ,

To hear_thy gospel, Lord.
3 How doth thy word my heart engage !

How well employ my tongue !
And in

my

tiresome pilgrimage,
Yield me a heav'nly song!
4 Am I a stranger, or at home,

'Tis my perpetual feast;
Not honey, dropping from the comb,

So much allures the taste.
5 No treasures so enrich the mind;

Nor shall thy word be sold
For loads of silver well refin'd;

Nor heaps of choicest gold.
6 When nature sinks, and spirits droop,

Thy promises of grace
Are pillars to support my hope ;
And there I write thy praise.
PSALM 119. Sixth Part.

Sixth Part. C. M.
Holiness and comfort from the Word.
LORD, I esteem thy judgments right,

And all thy statutes just;
Thence I maintain a constant fight
With ev'ry flatt'ring lust.

2 Thy precepts often I survey ;

I keep thy laws in sight,
Thro' all the bus'ness of the day,

To form my actions right. .
3 My heart in midnight silence cries,

“ How sweet thy comforts be!" My thoughts in holy wonder rise,

And bring their thanks to thee.
4. And when my spirit drinks her fill,

At some good word of thine ;
Not mighty men, that share the spoil,
Have joys compar'd to mine.

PSALM 119. Seventh Part. C. M.
Imperfection of nature, and perfection of scripture.
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ET all the heathen writers join,

To form one perfect book ;
Great God ! if once compar'd with thine,

How mean their writings look !
2 Not the most perfect rules they gave

Could show one sin forgiv'n ;
Nor lead a step beyond the grave;

But thine conduct to heav'n.
3 I've seen an end of what we call

Perfection here below:
How short the pow'rs of nature fall!

And can no farther go. 4. Yet men would fain be just with God,

By works their hands have wrought; But thy commands, exceeding broad,

Extend to ev'ry thought.
5 In vain we boast perfection here,

While sin defiles our frame;
And sinks our virtues down so far,

They scarce deserve the name.