PSALM I.

HBy ill advice to walk,

TOW blest is he, who ne'er consents

Nor stands in sinners' ways, nor sits
Where men profanely talk;

2 But makes the perfect law of God
His business and delight;
Devoutly reads therein by day,
And meditates y night.

3 Like some fair tree, which fed by streams,

With timely fruit does bend,

He still shall flourish, and success
All his designs attend.

4 Ungodly men, and their attempts,
No lasting root shall find;
Untimely blasted, and dispers'd
Like chaff before the wind.

5 Their guilt shall strike the wicked

dumb

Before their Judge's face:

No formal hypocrite shall then
Among the saints have place.
For God approves the just man's ways;
To happiness they tend:
But sinners, and the paths they tread,
Shall both in ruin end.

PSALM II.

W Why do the heathen storm?

WITH restless and ungovern'd rage,

Why in such rash attempts engage,
As they can ne'er perform?

2 The great in council and in might
The ir various forces bring;
Against the Lord they all unite,
And his anointed King.

3 Must we submit to their commands?"
Presumptuously they say:
"No, let us break their slavish bands,
And cast their chains away.'

4 But God, who sits enthron'd on high, And sees how they combine, Does their conspiring strength defy, And mocks their vain design. 5 Thick clouds of wrath divine break

On his rebellious foes;

And thus will he in thunder speak
To all that dare oppose:

shall

6 Though madly you dispute my will, The King that I ordain, "Whose throne is fix'd on Sion's hill, Shall there securely reign.' 7 Attend, O earth, whilst I declare God's uncontroll'd decree :

"Thou art my Son; this day, my heir, 'Have I begotten thee.

8 Ask, and receive thy full demands; 'Thine shall the heathen be;

'The utmost limits of the lands 'Shall be possess'd by thee.

9 Thy threat'ning sceptre thou shalt shake,

'And crush them every where ; As massy bars of iron break

The potter's brittle ware.'

10 Learn then, ye princes; and give er, Ye judges of the earth;

11 Worship the Lord with holy fear;
Rejoice with awful mirth.

12 Appease the Son with due respect,
Your timely homage pay;
Lest he revenge the bold neglect,
Incens'd by your delay.

13 If but in part his anger rise,

Who can endure the flame? Then blest are they, whose hope relies On his most holy name.

PSALM YII.

TOW many, Lord, of late are grown The troublers of my peace! And as their numbers hourly rise,

So does their rage increase. 2 Insulting, they my soul upbraid, And him whom I adore; 'The God in whom he trusts,' say they, 'Shall rescue him no more.'

3 But thou, O Lord, art my defence;
On thee my hopes rely;
Thou art my glory, and shall yet
Lift up my head on high.

4 Since whensoe'er, in like distress,
To God I made my pray'r,
He heard me from his holy hill
Why should I now despair?
5 Guarded by him, I laid me down,
My sweet repose to take;
For I through him securely sleep,
Through him in safety wake.
6 No force nor fury of my foes

My courage shall confound,
Were they as many hosts as men,
That have beset me round.

7 Arise, and save me, O my God,
Who oft hast own'd my cause,
And scatter'd oft these foes to me,
And to thy righteous laws.

8 Salvation to the Lord belongs;
He only can defend:
His blessings he extends to all
That on his pow'r depend.

PSALM IV.

LORD, thou art my righteous Judge.
To my complaint ear:
Thou still redecin'st me from distress;
Have mercy, Lord, and hear.
2 How long will ye, O sons of men,
To blot my fame devise?
How long your vain designs pursue,
And spread malicious lies?"

8 Consider that the righteous man
Is God's peculiar choice;
And when to him I make my pray'r,
He always hears my voice.
4 Then stand in awe of his commands,
Flee every thing that's ill,
Commune in private with your hearts,
And bend them to his wiil.
5 The place of other sacrifice
Let righteousness supply;
And let your hope, securely fix'd,
On God alone rely.

6 While worldly minds impatient grow
More prosp'rous times to see;
Still let the glories of thy face

Shine brightly, Lord, on me.

7 So shall my heart o'erflow with joy, More lasting and more true

Than theirs, who stores of corn and wine
Successively renew.

8 Then down in peace I'll lay my head,
And take my needful rest;
No other guard, O Lord, I crave,
Of thy defence possess'd.

PSALM V.

PSALM VI.

THY dreadful anger, Lord, restrain, And spare a wretch forlorn; Correct me not in thy fierce wrath, Too heavy to be borne.

2 Have mercy, Lord; for I grow faint Unable to endure

The anguish of my aching bones,

Which thou alone canst cure.
3 My tortur'd flesh distracts my mind,
And fills my soul with grief;
But, Lord, how long wilt thou delay
To grant me thy relief?

4 Thy wonted goodness, Lord, repeat,
And ease my troubled soul;
Lord, for thy wondrous mercy's sake,
Vouchsafe to make me whole.

5 For after death no more can I
Thy glorious acts proclaim,
No pris'ner of the silent grave
Can magnify thy name.

6 Quite tir'd with pain, with groaning faint,

No hope of ease I see;

The night, that quiets common griefs,
Is spent in tears by me.

7 My beauty fades, my sight grows dim,
My eyes with weakness close;
Old age o'ertakes me, whilst I think
On my insulting foes.

8 Depart, ye wicked; in my wrongs
Ye shall no more rejoice;
For God, I find, accepts my tears,
And listens to my voice.

9, 10 He hears, and grants my humble prayer;

And they that wish my fall,

Shall blush and rage to see that God
Protects me from them all.

LORD

PSALM VII.

my God, since I have plac❜ó

For watchful is my foe;

Wherein I ought to go.

Lord, interpose thy power;
Lest, like a savage lion, he
My helpless soul devour.
3, 4 If I am guilty, or did e'er
Against his peace combine;
Nay, if I had not spared his life,
Who sought unjustly mine;
5 Let then to persecuting foes
My soul become a prey;

Let them to earth tread down my life,
In dust my honour lay.

6 Arise, and let thime anger, Lord,
In my defence engage;
Exalt thyself above my foes,
And their insulting rage:
Awake, awake, in my behalf,
The judgment to dispense,
Which thou hast righteously ordain'd
For injur'd innocence.

7 So to thy throne, adoring crowds
Shall still for justice fly:

Oh! therefore, for their sake, resume
Thy judgment-seat on high.

8 Impartial judge of all the world,
I trust my cause to thee;
According to my just deserts,

So let thy sentence be.

9 Let wicked arts and wicked men
Together be o'erthrown;

But guard the just, thou God, to whom
The hearts of both are known.
10, 11 God me protects, not only me,
But all of upright heart;
And daily lays up wrath for those

Who from his laws depart.

12 If they persist, he whets his sword, His bow stands ready bent;

13 Ev'n now, with swift destruction wing'd,

His pointed shafts are sent.

14 The plots are fruitless which my foe Unjustly did conceive;

has prov'd

15 The pit he digg'd for me,
His own untimely grave.
16 On his own head his spite returns,
Whilst I from harm am free;
On him the violence is fall'n,

Which he design'd for me.

17 Therefore will I the righteous ways Of providence proclaim;

I'll sing the praise of God most high, And celebrate his name.

PSALM VIII.

thou!

How glorious is thy name!

Thy boundless praise declare. Through thee the weak confound the strong,

And crush their haughty foes; And so thou quell'st the wicked throng That thee and thine oppose.

3 When heaven, thy beauteous work on high,

Employs my wond'ring sight;
The moon, that nightly rules the sky,
With stars of feebler light;

10

PSALM IX.

To celebrate thy praise, O Lord,

I will my heart prepare; To all the list'ning world, thy works, Thy wondrous works declare. 2 The thought of them shall to my soul Exalted pleas res bring;

Whilst to thy name, O thou Most High,
Triumphant praise I sing.

3 Thou mad'st my haughty foes to turn
Their backs in shameful flight:
Struck with thy presence, down they fell,
They perish'd at thy sight.

4 Against insulting foes advanc'd,

Thou didst my cause maintain; My right asserting from thy throne, Where truth and justice reign. 5 The insolence of heathen pride Thou hast reduc'd to shame; Their wicked offspring quite destroy'd And blotted out their name.

6 Mistaken foes, your haughty threats Are to a period come;

Our city stands, which you design'd

To make our common tomb.
7, 8 The Lord for ever lives, who has
His righteous throne prepar'd,
Impartial justice to dispense,
To punish or reward.

Nor fully reckon'd there;

Against oppressing rage;

PART II.

12 When he inquiry makes for blood,
He'll call the poor to mind:
The injur'd humble man's complaint
Relief from him shall find.

13 Take pity on my troubles, Lord,
Which spiteful foes create,
Thou that hast rescu'd me so oft
From death's devouring gate.
14 In Sion then I'll sing thy praise,
To all that love thy name;
And, with loud shouts of grateful joy,
Thy saving power proclaim.

15 Deep in the pit they digg'd for me,
The heathen pride is laid;
Their guilty feet to their own snare
Are heedlessly betray'd.

16 Thus, by the just returns he makes,
The mighty Lord is known;
While wicked men by their own plots,
Are shamefully o'erthrown.
17 No single sinner shall escape,
By privacy obscur'd;

Nor nation, from his just revenge,
By numbers be secur'd.

18 His suff" ring saints, when most distress'd,

He ne'er forgets to aid;
Their expectations shall be crown'd,
Though for a time delay'd.

19 Arise, O Lord, assert thy power,
And let not man o'ercome;
Descend to judgment, and pronounce
The guilty heathen's doom.

20 Strike terror through the nations round,

Till, by consenting fear,

They to each other, and themselves,
But mortal men appear.

And sordid wretches, whom God hates,
Perversely they commend.

4 To own a power above themselves,
Their haughty pride disdains;
And therefore in their stubborn mind
No thought of Ged remains.
5 Oppressive methods they pursue,
And all their foes they slight;
Because thy judgments unobserv'd,
Are far above their sight.

6 They fondly think their prosp❜rous

state

Shall unmolested be;

They think their vain designs shall thrive,

From all misfortunes free.

7 Vain and deceitful is their speech, With curses fill'd, and lies;

By which the mischief of their heart They study to disguise.

8 Near public roads they lie conceal'd, And all their art employ,

The innocent and poor at once
To rifle and destroy.

9 Not lions, couching in their dens,
Surprise their heedless prey
With greater cunning, or express
More savage rage than they.

10 Sometimes they act the harmless man,
And modest looks they wear;
That so deceiv'd, the poor may less
Their sudden onset fear.

weigh'st

The fatherless and poor;

That so the tyrants of the earth

May persecute no more.

PSALM XI.

Shall reach its purpos'd end;

His servants from this faithless race

He ever shall defend.

8 Then shall the wicked be perplex'd, Nor know which way to fly;

A refuge always nigh,

Why should I, like a tim'rous bird,
To distant mountains fly?

2 Behold, the wicked bend their bow,

And ready fix their dart,

Lurking in ambush to destroy

The men of upright heart."

vex'd,

Shall be advanc'd on high.

PSALM XIII.

How long wilt thou withdraw from me, Oh! never to return?

Which public faith imparts,

'Tis time for innocence to fly

From such deceitful arts.

4 The Lord hath both a temple here,
And righteous throne above;

Where he surveys the sons of men,
And how their councils move.

5 If God the righteous, whom he loves, For trial does correct,

What must the sons of violence,
Whom he abhors, expect?

Snares, fire, and brimstone, on their
heads

Shall in one tempest shower; This dreadful mixture his revenge Into their cup shall pour.

7 The righteous Lord will righteous

deeds

times afford

One just and faithful friend.

2 One neighbour now can scarce believe
What t'other does impart;
With flatt'ring lips they all deceive,
And with a double heart.

3 But lips that with deceit abound
Can never prosper long;
God's righteous vengeance will
found

soul,
And grief my heart oppress?
How long my enemies insult,
And I have no redress?

3 Oh! hear, and to my longing eyes Restore thy wonted light,

And suddenly, or I shall sleep
In everlasting night.

4 Restore me, lest they proudly boast 'Twas their own strength o'ercame; Permit not them that vex my soul

To triumph in my shame.

5 Since I have always placed my trust Beneath thy mercy's wing,

Thy saving health will come; and then My heart with joy shall spring. 6 Then shall my song, with praise inspired,

To thee, my God, ascend, Who to thy servant in distress Such bounty didst extend.

PSALM XIV.

The proud blaspheming tongue. 4 In vain those foolish boasters say, 'Our tongues are sure our own; With doubtful words we'll still betray, And be controll'd by none.'

5 For God, who hears the suff'ring poor,
And their oppression knows,
Will soon arise and give them rest,
In spite of all their foes.

6 The word of God shall still abide,
And void of falsehood be,

As is the silver, seven times try'd,
From drossy mixture free.

Be all so dull and senseless grown, That they, like bread, my people eat,

And God's almighty power disown? 5 How will they tremble then for fear, When his just wrath shall them o'ertake?

For to the righteous God is near,

And never will their cause forsake. 6 Ill men, in vain, with scorn expose Those methods which the good purse;