Could make me so divinely blest, Or raise my cheerful passions so. e 6 [My life itself, without thy love, No taste of pleasure could afford; "Twould but a tiresome burden prove, If I were banish'd from the Lord. -7 Amidst the wakeful hours of night, When busy cares afflict my head, o One thought of thee gives new delight, And adds refreshment to my bed.] s 8 I'll lift my hands, I'll raise my voice, While I have breath to pray, or praise; This work shall make my heart rejoice, And spend the remnant of my days. S. M. Newton. [*]
Y God, permit my tongue This joy, to call thee mine; And let my early cries prevail, To taste thy love divine.
e 2 [My thirsty, fainting soul Thy mercy does implore: Not travellers, in desert lands, Can pant for water more. Within thy churches, Lord, I long to find my place;
Thy power and glory to behold, And feel thy quick'ning grace.] For life, without thy love, No relish can afford;
No joy can be compar'd with this, To serve and please the Lord. To thee I'll lift my hands, And praise thee while I live; Not the rich dainties of a feast Such food or pleasure give. e 6 In wakeful hours of night, I call my God to mind;
I think how wise thy counsels are, And all thy dealings kind.
Since thou hast been my help, To thee my spirit flies;
And on thy watchful providence My cheerful hope relies.
0 8 The shadow of thy wings My soul in safety keeps;
I follow where my Father leads, And he supports my steps.
PSALM 65. L. M. 1st Part. Weldon. Quercy. [*] V. 1-5. Public Prayer and Praise.
HE praise of Zion waits for thee,
My God; and praise becomes thy house: There shall thy saints thy glory see,
And there perform their public vows. p 2 0 thou, whose mercy bends the skies, To save when humble sinners pray, o All lands to thee shall lift their eyes, And grateful isles of every sea. e 3 [Against my will my sins prevail, -But grace shall purge away their stain; The blood of Christ will never fail To wash my garments white again.
o 4 Blest is the man whom thou shalt choose, And give him kind access to thee; Give him a place within thy house, To taste thy love divinely free.]
5 Let Babel fear when Zion prays: Babel, prepare for long distress, When Zion's God himself arrays In terrour, and in righteousness. g 6 With dreadful glory God fulfils What his afflicted saints request; And with almighty wrath reveals His love, to give his churches rest. s 7 Then shall the flocking nations run To Zion's hill, and own their Lord; The rising and the setting sun Shall see the Saviour's name ador'd. L. M. 2nd Part. Nantwich. Truro. [*]
V. 5-13. Divine Providence and Grace. HE God of our salvation hears
The groans of Zion mix'd with tears;
Yet, when he comes with kind designs, Through all the way his terrour shines.] 2 On God the race of man depends, Far as the earth's remotest ends; Where the Creator's name is known By nature's feeble light alone.
3 Sailors, who travel o'er the flood, Address their frighted souls to God; When tempests rage and billows roar, At dreadful distance from the shore. 4 He bids the noisy tempest cease; He calms the raging crowd to peace, When a tumultuous nation raves, Wild as the winds, and loud as waves. 5 [Whole kingdoms, shaken by the storm, He settles in a peaceful form;
Mountains, establish'd by his hand, Firm on their old foundations stand. d 6 Behold his ensign sweep the sky; New comets blaze, and lightnings fly: The heathen lands, with swift surprise, From the bright horrours turn their eyes. -7 At his command, the morning ray Smiles in the east, and leads the day, He guides the sun's declining wheels Over the tops of western hills.]
8 Seasons and times obey his voice; The evening and the morn rejoice, To see the earth made soft with showers, Laden with fruit, and dress'd in flowers. 9 ['Tis from his wat'ry stores on high, He gives the thirsty ground supply: He walks upon the clouds, and thence Doth his enriching drops dispense.] 10 The desert grows a fruitful field, Abundant food the valleys yield; The valleys shout with cheerful voice, And neighb'ring hills repeat their joys. 11 [The pastures smile in green array, There lambs and larger cattle play; The larger cattle and the lamb, Each in his language speaks thy name.]
12 Thy works pronounce thy power divine; O'er every field thy glories shine: Through every month thy gifts appear; Great God, thy goodness crowns the year! C. M. 1st Part. Colchester. Mear. [*] Prayer heard, and the Gentiles called.
RAISE waits in Zion, Lord, for thee; There shall our vows be paid:
Thou hast an ear when sinners pray;
All flesh shall seek thine aid.
e 2 Lord, our iniquities prevail, But pard'ning grace is thine;
o And thou wilt grant us power and skill To conquer every sin.
-3 Blest are the men whom thou wilt choose, To bring them near thy face;
Give them a dwelling in thine house,
To feast upon thy grace.
e 4 In answ'ring what thy church requests, Thy truth and terrour shine;
And works of dreadful righteousness Fulfil thy kind design.
5 Thus will the wond'ring nations see The Lord is good and just;
o And distant islands fly to thee,
And make thy name their trust.
g 6 They dread thy glitt'ring tokens, Lord, When signs in heaven appear;
o But they shall learn thy holy word, And love as well as fear.
C. M. 2nd Part. Bedford. Arundel. [*] Providence in Air, Earth, and Sea.
1 'IS by thy strength the mountains stand,
'TGod of eternal power;
The sea grows calm at thy command,
And tempests cease to roar.
o 2 Thy morning light and ev'ning shade - Successive comforts bring;
Thy plenteous fruits make harvest glad, Thy flowers adorn the spring.
-3 Seasons and times, and moons and hours, Heaven, earth, and air are thine;
When clouds distil in fruitful showers, The Author is Divine.
4 Those wand'ring cisterns in the sky, Borne by the winds around,
With wat❜ry treasures well supply The furrows of the ground.
o 5 The thirsty ridges drink their fill, And ranks of corn appear;
Thy ways abound with blessings still; Thy goodness crowns the year.
C. M. 3rd Part. York. [*]
A Psalm for the Husbandman.
OOD is the Lord, the heav'nly King, Who makes the earth his care;
Visits the pastures ev'ry spring,
And bids the grass appear.
2 The clouds, like rivers rais'd on high, Pour out, at his command, Their wat❜ry blessings from the sky, To cheer the thirsty land. 3 The soften'd ridges of the field Permit the corn to spring; The valleys rich provision yield, And the poor lab'rers sing. 4 The little hills on every side Rejoice at falling showers;
The meadows, dress'd in all their pride, Perfume the air with flowers.
5 The barren clods, refresh'd with rain, Promise a joyful crop ;
The parched grounds look green again, And raise the reaper's hope.
6 The various months thy goodness crowns; How bounteous are thy ways!
The bleating flocks spread o'er the downs, And shepherds shout thy praise.]
PSALM 66. C. M. 1st Part. Devizes. [*] Governing God: or, our Grace tried.
s Sing with a joyful noise; 8 1 SING, all ye nations, to the Lord,
With melody of sounds record
His honours and your joys.
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