Why art thou cast down, my soul? God shall lift thy fallen head; PSALM XLII. No. 2. HEARKEN, Lord, to my complaints, In the land I left behind, Tempest-tost, my failing bark Once the morning's earliest light Why, my soul, art thou perplex'd? PSALM LXIII. JUDGE me, Lord, in righteousness; Be thy love my confidence. Send thy light and truth to guide In thy tabernacles blest; Why, my soul, art thou dismay'd? Sheds the light of Heaven on thine. PSALM XLVI. No. 1. God is our refuge and defence, In trouble our unfailing aid; Secure in his omnipotence, What foe can make our soul afraid? Yea, though the earth's foundations rock, And mountains down the gulf be hurl'd, His people smile amid the shock, They look beyond this transient world. There is a river pure and bright, Whose streams make glad the heavenly plains; Where, in eternity of light, The city of our God remains. Built by the word of his command, With his unclouded presence blest, Firm as his throne the bulwarks stand; There is our home, our hope, our rest. Thither let fervent faith aspire, Our treasure and our heart be there; O for a seraph's wing of fire! No, on the mightier wings of prayer,— We reach at once that last retreat, And, ranged among the ransom'd throng, Fall with the Elders at his feet, Whose name alone inspires their song. Ah, soon, how soon! our spirits droop; Unwont the air of Heaven to breathe: Yet God in very deed will stoop, And dwell Himself with men beneath. Come to thy living temples, then, As in the ancient times appear; Let earth be paradise again, And man, O God, thine image here. PSALM XLVI. No. 2. COME and behold the works of God, The God of Jacob is our shield. Again He maketh wars to cease, He breaks the bow, unpoints the spear, Silence, O Earth! thy Maker own; PSALM XLVII. EXTOL the Lord, the Lord most high, King over all the earth; Exalt his triumphs to the sky His banner shall advance, And every realm beneath the sun God is gone up with loud acclaim, Sing praises to our God; sing praise His wondrous works, his glorious ways, God sits upon his holy throne, God o'er the heathen reigns; Princes around his footstool throng, Earth and her shields to God belong; PSALM XLVIII. JEHOVAH is great, and great be his praise; The joy of the earth, from her beautiful height, The Lord in her temple still taketh delight, At the sight of her splendor, the kings of the earth Thou breakest the ships from the sea-circled climes As our fathers have told of thy deeds, in their times, So, Lord, have we witness'd in ours. In the midst of thy temple, O God, hath our mind Remember'd thy mercy of old; Let thy name, like thy praise, to no realm be confined Let the daughters of Judah be glad for thy love, For Thou wilt establish her seat from above, Then say to your children:-Our stronghold is tried; This God is our God to the end; His people for ever his counsels shall guide, PSALM LI. HAVE mercy on me, O my God, In loving-kindness hear my prayer: Withdraw the terror of thy rod; Lord, in thy tender mercy, spare. Offences rise where'er I look; But I confess their guilt to Thee: Blot my transgressions from thy book, Cleanse me from mine iniquity. Whither from vengeance can I run? I did it only in thy sight. Shapen in frailty, born in sin, From error how shall I depart? Lo, thou requirest truth within; Lord, write thy truth upon my heart. Me through the blood of sprinkling make Pure from defilement, white as snow; Heal me for my Redeemer's sake; Then joy and gladness I shall know. A perfect heart in me create, Renew my soul in innocence; Cast not the suppliant from thy gate, Nor take thine holy spirit hence. Thy consolations, as of old, Now to my troubled mind restore; By thy free Spirit's might uphold And guide my steps, to fall no more. Then sinners will I teach thy ways, And rebels to thy sceptre bring; -Open my lips, O God, in praise, So shall my mouth thy goodness sing. Not streaming blood, nor purging fire, Thy righteous anger can appease; Burnt-offerings thou dost not require, Or gladly I would render these. The broken heart in sacrifice Alone may thine acceptance meet; My heart, O God, do not despise, Broken and contrite, at thy feet. PSALM LXIII. O GOD, Thou art my God alone, A pilgrim in a land unknown, A thirsty land whose springs are dry. O that it were as it hath been, Yet through this rough and thorny maze, I safely tread where Thou hast trod. Dearer than all beside to me; For whom have I in heaven above, Or what on earth, compared with Thee? Praise with my heart, my mind, my voice, For all thy mercy I will give; My soul shall still in God rejoice, My tongue shall bless Thee while I live PSALM LXIX. GOD, be merciful to me, From the water-floods that roll Foes increase, they close me round, Poor and sorrowful am I ; Wonders Thou for me hast wrought, PSALM LXX. HASTEN, Lord, to my release, Those that seek Thee shall rejoice: I am bow'd with misery; Yet I make thy law my choiceTurn, my God, and look on me. Thou mine only Helper art, My Redeemer from the grave; Strength of my desiring heart, Do not tarry, haste to save. PSALM LXXI. LORD, I have put my trust in Thee, A tower of refuge is thy name. Thou hast upheld me from the womb; Though I have long outlived my peers, Forsake me not in my last hour; Not far, my God, not far remove: Sin and the world still spread their snares; Stand by me now, or they will prove Too crafty yet for my grey hairs. Me, through what troubles hast Thou brought! PSALM LXXII. HAIL to the Lord's anointed! He comes, with succor speedy, And bid the weak be strong: By such shall He be feared For He shall judge the poor, Through changing generations, With justice, mercy, truth, While stars maintain their stations, Or moons renew their youth. He shall come down, like showers Upon the fruitful earth, And love, joy, hope, like flowers, Spring in his path to birth: Before Him on the mountains, Shall Peace the herald go; And righteousness in fountains From hill to valley flow. Arabia's desert-ranger, To Him shall bow the knee; The Ethiopian stranger His glory come to see: With offerings of devotion, Ships from the isles shall meet, To pour the wealth of ocean In tribute at his feet. Kings shall fall down before Him, Or dove's light wing can soar For Him shall prayer unceasing, A kingdom without end: O'er every foe victorious, He on his throne shall rest, From age to age more glorious, All-blessing and all-blest: The tide of time shall never His covenant remove; His name shall stand for ever; That name to us is-Love. PSALM LXXIII. TRULY the Lord is good to those, And well-nigh cast me down to shame. For I was envious at their state, When I beheld the wicked rise, And flourish in their pride elate, No fear of death before their eyes. Not troubled they, as others are, Nor plagued, with all their vain pretence; Pride like a chain of gold they wear, And clothe themselves with violence Swoln are their eyes with wine and lust, For more than heart can wish have they; In fraud and tyranny they trust To make the multitude their prey. Their mouth assails the heavens; their tongue "Who is the Lord, that we should fear, Thus cry the mockers, flush'd with health, And have I cleansed my heart in vain, And wash'd in innocence my hands? All day afflicted, I complain, All night I mourn in straitening bands. Too painful this for me to view, Till to thy temple, Lord, I went, And then their fearful end I knew, How suddenly their light is spent. Surely in slippery places set, Down to perdition these are hurl'd; Snared in the toils of their own net, A spectacle to all the world. As, from a dream when one awakes, Abash'd, my folly then I saw; I seem'd before Thee like a brute; Smit to the heart, o'erwhelm'd with awe, I bow'd, and worshipp'd, and was mute. Yet Thou art ever at my side: O, still uphold me, and defend; Me by thy counsel Thou shalt guide, And bring to glory in the end. Whom have I, Lord, in heaven but Thee? PSALM LXXVII. IN time of tribulation, The days of old, in vision, Bring vanish'd bliss to view; Hath God cast off for ever? Shall I presume to share? I call to recollection The years of his right hand; Thee, with the tribes assembled, Turn'd, and stood still, with awe; Thy way is in great waters, Thy footsteps are not known; Confide in Thee alone; PSALM LXXX. OF old, O God, thine own right hand It sought the sun, and drank the rain. Its boughs like goodly cedars spread, Forth to the river went the root; Perennial verdure crown'd its head, It bore, in every season, fruit. That vine is desolate and torn, Its scions in the dust are laid; Rank o'er the ruin springs the thorn, The wild boar wallows in the shade. Lord God of Hosts, thine ear incline, |