Page images
PDF
EPUB

He sent salvation from on high,

And drew me from the depths of death.
7 Great were my fears, my foes were great,
Much was their strength, and more their
But Christ, my Lord, is conqu'ror still, [rage;
In all the wars that devils wage.

8 My song for ever shall record
That terrible, that joyful hour;
And give the glory to the Lord
Due to his mercy and his pow'r.

PSALM 18. Second Part. L. M.
Christian Sincerity.

1 ORD, thou hast form'd my soul sincere, Hast made thy truth and love appear:

Before mine eyes I set thy laws,

And thou has own'd my righteous cause.
2 Since I have learn'd thy holy ways,
I've walk'd upright before thy face:
And if my feet from thee depart,
It grieves my soul, it wounds my heart,
3 What sore temptations broke my rest!
What wars and strugglings in my breast!
But, thro' thy grace that reigns within,
I guard against my darling sin.

4 The sin that close besets me still,
That works and strives against my will:
When shall thy Spirit's sov'reign pow'r
Destroy it, that it rise no more?
5 With an impartial hand, the Lord
Deals out to mortals their reward:
The kind and faithful soul shall find
A God all faithful and most kind.

6 The just and pure shall ever say,
Thou art more pure, more just than they :

1

And men that love revenge shall know,
God hath an arm of vengeance too.

PSALM 18. Third Part.

JUS

Rejoicing in God our Saviour.

L. M.

UST 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?
2 'Tis he that girds me with his might,
Gives me his holy sword to wield;
And while with sin and hell I fight,
Spreads his salvation for my shield.
3 He lives, (and blessed be my Rock)
The God of my salvation lives;
The dark designs of hell he broke :
Sweet is the peace my Saviour gives.
4 Before the scoffers of the age
I will exalt my Saviour's name:
Nor tremble at their mighty rage;
But meet reproach, and bear the shame.
PSALM 18. Fourth Part.

1

WE

Victory over temporal enemies.

C. M.

E love thee, Lord, and we adore;
Now is thine arm reveal'd :

Thou art our strength, our heav'nly tow'r ;
Our bulwark and our shield.

2 We fly to our eternal rock,
And find a sure defence:
His holy name our lips invoke,
And draw salvation thence.

3 When God our leader shines in arms,
What mortal heart can bear

The thunder of his loud alarms?
The lightning of his spear?

4 He rides upon the winged wind;
And angels in array,

In millions, wait to know his mind,
And swift as flames obey.

look

5 He speaks, and at his fierce rebuke
Whole armies are dismay'd;
His voice, his frown, his angry
Strikes all their courage dead.
6 He forms our gen'rals for the field,
With all their dreadful skill;
Gives them his awful sword to wield,
And makes their hearts of steel.
7 He arms our captains to the fight,
(Tho' there his name's forgot)
He girded Cyrus with his might,
When Cyrus knew him not.

8 Oft has the Lord whole nations blest
For his own children's sake:
The pow'rs, that give his people rest,
Shall of his care partake.

[ocr errors]

PSALM 18. Fifth Part. C. M.
The Conqueror's Song.

O thine almighty arm we owe
The triumphs of the day;

Thy terrors, Lord, confound the foe,
And melt his strength away.

2 'Tis by thine aid our troops prevail,
And break united pow'rs:

Or burn their boasted fleets, or scale
The proudest of their tow'rs.

3 How have we chas'd them thro' the field,
And trod them to the ground;
While thy salvation was our shield,
And they no shelter found!

4 In vain to idol saints they cry,
And perish in their blood:
Where is a rock so great, so high,
So pow'rful as our God?

5 The Rock of Israel ever lives,
His name be ever blest ;

'Tis his own arm the vict'ry gives,
He gives his people rest.

PSALM 18. Sixth Part. P. M.
Thanksgiving, applied to the American Revolution.
NO bless the Lord, our God, in strains di-
vine,

1 T°

[join: With thankful hearts, and raptur'd voices To us what wonders his right hand hath

shown! [known! Mercies, his chosen tribes have scarcely Like David blest, begin th' enraptur'd song; Let praise and joy awaken ev'ry tongue. 2 When, fir'd to rage, against our nation rose Chiefs of proud name, and bands of haughty

foes; [ray'd, He train❜d our hosts to fight, with arms arWith health invigor'd, and with bounty fed: Gave us his chosen chief our sons to guide; Heard ev'ry pray'r, and ev'ry want supply'd. 3 He gave their armies captive to our hands, Or sent them frustrate to their native lands; Burst the dark snare, disclos'd the miry pit, And led to broad, safe grounds, our sliding feet:

[ocr errors]

Bounteous, for us, extended regions won The fairest empire spread beneath the sun. 4 When, dark and threat'ning, civil broils arose, Each hope grew dim, and friends were chang'd to foes;

God was our stay, our help, our heav'nly

shield:

His grace preserv'd us, and his arm upheld ; Sav'd us from tumults dire, and deep distress; Enlarg'd our blessings, and confirm'd our

peace.

5 No more against our land shall strangers rise, But fade, and fade, beneath avenging skies : Pleas'd, the fierce heathen yield to happier

sway;

The groping savage hail the gospel day; Low sink the proud, the sons of blood be slain,

Nor injur❜d Zion lift her cries in vain. 6 But, O thou pow'r belov'd! our shores around Be ev'ry virtue, ev'ry blessing found.

Here bid thy seasons crown the fruitful plain ; Here bid fair peace extend her blissful reign : Let laws, let justice, hold perpetual sway, The soul unfetter'd, and the conscience free. 7 With clearest splendor, here, let knowledge

shine;

Here ev'ry glory beam from truth divine; To Jesus' call the soul obsequious bend; Grace from thy Spirit in rich show'rs descend; Nations each day ascend the bright abode, And boundless praise unceasing rise to God.

1

PSALM 19. First Part. S. M.

The book of nature and scripture.

BEHOLD! the lofty sky

Declares its maker God,

And all his starry works on high

Proclaim his pow'r abroad.

« PreviousContinue »