2 low great the works his hand hath wrought How glorious in our sight!

And men in every age have sought
His wonders with delight.

3 How most exact is nature's frame!
How wise th' Eternal Mind!

Ilis counsels never change the scheme
That his first thoughts design'd.
4 When he redeem'd his chosen sons,
He fix'd his cov❜nant sure:
The orders that his lips pronounce,
To endless years endure.

5 Nature and time, and earth and skies,
Thy heav'nly skill proclaim;

1

What shall we do to make us wise
But learn to read thy name?
To fear thy pow'r, to trust thy grace,
Is our divinest skill;

And he's the wisest of our race
That best obeys thy will.

PROVIDENCE.

681. C. M. Dr. Watts.

Creatures vain, and God all-sufficient.
Psalm xxxiii.

BEST is the nation where the Lord

D Hath fix'd his gracious throne;
Where he reveals his heav'nly word,
And calls their tribes his own.

2 His eye, with infinite survey,
Does the whole world behold:
He form'd us all of equal clay,
And knows our feeble mould.
3 Kings are not rescu'd by the force
Of armies from the grave;
Nor speed nor courage of a horse
Can the bold rider save.

4 Vain is the strength of beasts or men,
To hope for safety thence:

But holy souls from God obtain

A strong and sure defence.

5 God is their fear, and God their trust, When plagues or famine spread; jlis watchful eye secures the just Amongst ten thousand dead.

2 B

o Lord, let our hearts in thee rejoice,
And bless us from thy throne;

For we have made thy word our choice,
And trust thy grace alone.

685. L. M. Dr. Waits.

God's Care of the Saints.

Psalm xxxiv.

1LORD, I will bless thee all my days;

Thy praise shall dwell upon my tongue, My soul shall glory in thy grace,

While samts rejoice to hear the song. 2 Come, magnify the Lord with me; Come, let us all exalt his name: I sought th' eternal God, and he Hath not expos'd my hope to shame. 3 I told him all my secret grief;

My secret groaning reach'd his ears; He gave my inward pa:ns relief,

And calm'd the tuninit of iny fears. 4 His holy angels pitch their tents

Around the men that serve the Lord:
O fear and love him, all ye saints;

Taste of his grace, and trust his word!
5 The wild young lions, pinch'd with pain
And hunger, roar through all the wood;
But none shall seek the Lord in vain,
Nor want supplies of real good.

686. C. M. Dr. Watts.

Graces tried by Affliction. Psalm lxvi. 1 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 [Come, see the wonders of our God
How glorious are his ways!
In Moses' haud he puts his rod,
And cleaves the frighted seas.
4 He made the ebbing channel dry,
While Isr'el pass'd the flood;
There did the church begin their joy,
And triumph'd in their God.}

5 He rules by his resistless might;
Will rebel-mortals dare

Provoke th' Eternal to the fight,
And tempt that dreadful war?
6 O bless our God, and never cease;
Fe saints, fulfil his praise;

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

7 Lord, thou hast prov'd our suff'ring souls, To make our graces shine;

So silver bears the burning coals,
The metal to refine.

8 Through watry deeps and fiery ways
We march at thy command,
Led to possess the promis'd place
By thine unerring hand.

687. C. M. Dr. Watts.

The Power and Goodness of God demands our Praise. Ps. cxi.

1GREAT is the Lord; his works of might

Demand our noblest songs:

Let his assembled saints unite
Their harmony of tongues.
2 Great is the mercy of the Lord,
He gives his children food;
And ever mindful of his word,
He makes his promise good.
3 His Son, the great Redeemer came
To seal his cov'nant sure;
Holy and rev'rend is his name;
His ways are just and pure.

4 They that would grow divinely wise,
Must with his fear begin;

1

Our fairest proof of knowledge lies
In hating ev'ry sin.

688. L. M. Dr. Watts.

Divine Protection. Psalm cxxi.
P to the hills I lift mine eyes,

Th' eternal hills beyond the skies;
Thence all her help my soul derives
There my almighty Refuge lives.

2 He lives, the everlasting God,

That built the world, that spread the flood;
The heav'ns with all their hosts he made,
And the dark regions of the dead,

He guides our feet, he guards our way;
His morning smiles bless all the day:
He spreads the ev'ning veil, and keeps
The silent hours while Isr'el sleeps.
4 Isr'el, a name divinely blest;
May rise secure, securely rest;
Thy holy Guardian's wakeful eyes
Admit no slumber nor surprise.

WORSHIP.

689. C. M. Dr. Watts.

A Prayer-hearing God.

Psalm lxv.

1 PRAISE waits in Sion, Lord, for thee;

There shall our vows be paid: Thou hast an ear when sinners pray All flesh shall seek thine aid.

2 Lord, our iniquities prevail,

But pard'ning grace is thine:

And thou wilt grant us pow'r and skill
To conquer ev'ry 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.

4 In answering what thy church requests, Thy truth and terror shine,

And works of dreadful righteousness
Fulfil thy kind design.

5 Thus shall the wond'ring nations see
The Lord is good and just;

And distant islands fly to thee,

And make thy name their trust.

6 They dread thy glitt'ring tokens, Lord, When signs in heav'n appear:

But they shall learn thy holy word,
And love as well as fear.

690. C. M. Dr. Watts.

Public Praise. Psalm cxviii. 19, 20.

PEN the gates of Zion now,
For we shall worship there,

The house where all the righteous go,
Thy mercy to declare.

1

Amongst th' assemblies of thy saints
Our thankful voice we raise;

There we have told Thee our complaints,
And there we speak thy praise.
691. C. M. Dr. Watts.

The Song of Simeon; or, Death made
desirable. Luke ii. 27, &c.

LAs happy Simeon came,

ORD, at thy temple we appear,

And hope to meet our Saviour here;
O make our joys the same!

2 With what divine and vast delight,
The good old man was fill'd,
When fondly in his wither'd arms
He clasp'd the holy Child:

3" Now I can leave this world," he cried;
"Behold thy servant dies;

"I've seen thy great salvation, Lord; "I close my peaceful eyes. 4" This is the light prepar'd to shine "Upon the Gentile lands; "Thine Israel's glory, and their hope, "To break their slavish bands."

5 [Jesus! the vision of thy face

Hath overpow'ring charms!

Scarce shall I feel Death's cold embrace,
If Christ be in my arms.]

6 Then while ye hear my heart-strings break,
How sweet my minutes roll!
A mortal paleness on my cheek
And glory in my soul.

SCRIPTURE.

692. C. M. Dr. Watts.

Imperfection of Nature, and Perfection of Scripture. Psalm cxix. 96.

1

LET 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 conducts to heav'n.