And knowleage of true happiness to simplest minds conveys. 131 With eager hopes I waiting stood, and fainting with desire, That of thy wise commands I might the sacred skill acquire, [me, 132 With favour, Lord, look down on 133 Directed by thy heavenly word, 136 My eyes to weeping fountains turn, whence briny rivers flow, To see mankind against thy laws in bold defiance go. TSADDI. 187 Thou art the righteous Judge, in whom wrong'd innocence may trust; And, like thyself, thy judgments, Lord, in all respects are just. 138 Most just and true those statutes were, which thou didst first decree; And all with faithfulness perform'd, succeeding times shall see. 139 With zeal my flesh consumes away, my soul with anguish frets, To see my foes contemn at once thy promises and threats Is 140 Yet each neglected word of thine, howe'er by them despised, pure, and for eternal truth, by me, thy servant, prized. 141 Brought, for thy sake, to low estate, contempt from all I find; Yet no affronts or wrongs can drive thy precepts from my mind. 142 Thy righteousness shall then endure, when time itself is past; Thy law is truth itself, that truth which shall for ever last. 143 Though trouble, anguish, doubts, to compass me unite; [and dread, Beset with danger, still I make thy precepts my delight. 144 Eternal and unerring rules thy testimonies give: Teach me the wisdom that will make my soul for ever live. KOPH. 145 With my whole heart to God I call'd, Lord, hear my earnest cry; And I thy statutes to perform, will all my care apply. 146 Again more fervently I pray'd, O save me, that I may Thy testimonies throughly know, and steadfastly obey. 147 My early prayer the dawning day prevented, while I cry'd To him, on whose engaging word 148 With zeal have I awaked before 150 My persecuting foes advance, What treatment can I hope from them who violate thy law? 151 Tho' they draw nigh, my comfort is, thou, Lord, art yet more near; Thou, whose commands are righteou thy promises sincere. 152 Concerning thy divine decrees, my soul has known of old, (all That they were true, and shall their truth to endless ages hold. RESCH. 153 Consider my affliction, Lord, and me from bondage draw; Think on thy servant in distress, who ne'er forgets thy law. 154 Plead thou my cause; to that and ine thy timely aid afford; With beams of mercy quicken me, according to thy word. 155 From harden'd sinners thou remov'st salvation far away; 'Tis ust thou should'st withdraw from them wno from thy statutes stray. 156 Since great thy tender mercies are to all who thee adore, According to thy judgments, Lord, my fainting hopes restore. 157 A numerous host of spiteful foes against my life combine; But all too few to force my soul thy statutes to decline. 158 Those bold transgressors I beheld, and was with grief oppress'd, To see with what audacious pride thy covenant they transgress'd. 159 Yet while they slight, consider, Lord, how I thy precepts love; O therefore quicken me with beams of mercy from above. 160 As from the birth of time thy truth has held through ages past, So shall thy righteous judgments, firm, to endless ages last. SCHIN. 161 Tho' mighty tyrants, without cause, conspire my blood to shed." Thy sacred word has power alone But to thy laws affection bear, 164 Seven times a day, with grateful voice, thy praises I resound, No smiling mischief then can tempt, thy service easy made. 168 From strict observance of thy laws TAU. 169 To my request and earnest cry, 170 Let my repeated prayer at last 171 Then shall my grateful lips return my heart's free choice have made. 174 My soul has waited long to see thy saving grace restored; Nor comfort knew, but what thy laws, 170 Like some lost sheep I've stray'd, despair my way to find; PSALM 120. N deep distress I oft have cry'd to rescue me oppress'd with wrongs; 2 Once more, O Lord, deliverance send, From lying lips my soul defend, and from the rage of slandering tongues 3 What little profit can accrue, And yet what heavy wrath is due, O thou perfidious tongue, to thee! 4 Thy sting upon thyself shall turn; Of lasting flames, that fiercely burn, the constant fuel thou shalt be. 5 But, O! how wretched is my doom, Who am a sojourner become in barren Mesech's desert soil! With Kedar's wicked tents enclosed, To lawless savages exposed, who live on nought but theft and spoil 6 My hapless dwelling is with those Who peace and amity oppose, and pleasure take in others' harms: 7 Sweet peace is all I court and seek; But when to them of peace I speak, they straight cry out, To arms, to arms PSALM 121. 10 Sion's hill I lift my eyes, Tfrom thence expecting aid; 2 From Sion's hill, and Sion's God, who heaven and earth has made. 3 Then thou, my soul, in safety rest, thy guardian will not sleep; 4 His watchful care, that Israel guards, will Israel's monarch keep. 5 Shelter'd beneath the Almighty's thou shalt securely rest, wings 6 Where neither sun nor moon shall ther 7 From common accidents of life 8 From the blind strokes of chance, and (foes 9 At home, abroad, in peace, in war, thy God shall thee defend; Conduct thee through life's pilgrimage, safe to thy journey's end." PSALM 122. TWAS a joyful sound to hear Up, Israel, to the temple haste, 2 At Salem's courts we must appear, 3 In strong and beauteous order ranged 4 "Tis thither, by divine command, his name with praise and prayer hou, therefore, Lord, thy servant seek,6 0, pray we then for Salem's who keeps thy laws in ining. for they shall prosperous be, peace, Thou holy city of our God, 8 For my dear brethren's sake, and friends no less than brethren dear, I'll pray-May peace in Salem's towers a constant guest appear. 9 But most of all I'll seek thy good, and ever wish thee well, For Sion and the temple's sake, where God vouchsafes to dwell. PSALM 123. N thee, who dwell'st above the skies, For mercy wait my longing eyes; As servants wait their masters' bands, And maids their mistresses' commands. 3, 40 then have mercy on us, Lord; Thy gracious aid to us afford; To us, whom cruel foes oppress, Grown rich and proud by our distress. PSALM 124. AD not the Lord, may Israel say, H been pleased to interpose; 2 Had he not then espoused our cause, when men against us rose; [alive, 3, 4, 5 Their wrath had swallowed us and raged without control; Their spite and pride's united floods had quite o'erwhelm'd our soul. 6 But praised be our eternal Lord, who rescued us that day, Nor to their savage jaws gave up our threaten'd lives a prey. 7 Our soul is like a bird escaped from out the fowler's net; The snare is broke, their hopes are cross'd, and we at freedom set. 8 Secure in his Almighty name our confidence remains, Who, as he made both heaven and earth, of both sole Monarch reigns. PSALM 125. W like Sion's rock shall stand; THO place on Sion's God their trust, Like her,immoveable be fix'd by his Almighty hand. 2 Look how the hills on every side So stands the Lord around his saints, 4 Be good, O righteous God, to those 5 All those who walk in crooked paths, PSALM 126. THEN Sion's God her sons recall'd Wfrom long captivity, It seem'd at first a pleasing dream of what we wish'd to see: 2 But soon in unaccustom'd mirth,› we did our voice employ, And sung our great Restorer's praise in thankful hynins of joy. Our heathen foes repining stood, yet were compell'd to own, That great and wondrous was the work our God for us had done. 3 "Twas great," say they, "twas won drous great. much more should we confess, The Lord has done great things, whereof we reap the glad success. 4 To us bring back the remnant, Lord, of Israel's captive bands, More welcome than refreshing showers to parch'd and thirsty lands; 5 That we, whose work commenced in tears, may see our labours thrive, Till finish'd with success, to make 6 our drooping hearts revive. Though he desponds that sows his grain, yet doubtless he shall come To bind his full-ear'd sheaves, and bring the joyful harvest home. PSALM 127. E build with fruitless cost, unless W the Lord the pile sustain : Unless the Lord the city keep, the watchman wakes in vain. 2 In vain we rise before the day, and late to rest repair, Allow no respite to our toil, and eat the bread of care. Supplies of life, with ease to them, he on his saints bestows; He crowns their labours with success. their nights with sound repose. 3 Children, those comforts of our life, are presents from the Lord; He gives a numerous race of heirs, as piety's reward. 4 As arrows in a giant's hand, when marching forth to war; Ev'n so the sons of sprightly youth, their parents' safeguard are. 5 Happy the man whose quiver's fill'd with these prevailing arms; He need not fear to meet his foe, at law or war's alarms. 3 His wife, like a fair fertile vine, 4 Who fears the Lord shall prosper thus; him Sion's God shall bless, 5 And grant him all his days to see Jerusalem's success. 6 He shall live on, till heirs from him descend with vast increase; Much bless'd in his own prosperous state, and more in Israel's peace. F PSALM 129. ROM my youth up, may Israel say, they oft have me assail'd, 2 Reduced me oft to heavy straits, but never quite prevail'd. 3 They oft have plough'd my patient with furrows deep and long; [back 4 But our just God has broke their chains, and rescued us from wrong. 5 Defeat, confusion, shameful rout be still the doom of those, Their righteous doom, who Sion hate, and Sion's God oppose. 6 Like corn upon our houses' tops, untimely let them fade, Which too much heat, and want of root, has blasted in the blade: 7 Which in his arms no reaper takes, Nor my aspiring thoughts employ in things for me too high. 2 With infant innocence thou know'st I have myself demean'd; Composed to quiet, like a babe that from the breast is wean'd. 3 Like me let Israel hope in God, his aid alone implore; Both now and ever trust in him, who lives for evermore. PSALM 182. LET David, Lord, a constant place in thy remembrance find; Let all the sorrows he endured 2 Remember what a solemn oath 5 Till for the Lord's design'd abode for Jacob's God have found. 6 The appointed place, with shouts of at Ephrata we found, [joy, And made the woods and neighbouring our glad applause resound. 7 0 with due reverence let us then to his abode repair; [fields And, prostrate at his footstool fall'n, 9, 10 Clothe thou thy priests with righie ousness, make thou thy saints rejoice; And, for thy servant David's sake, hear thy Anointed's voice. 11 God sware to David in his truth, One of thy offspring after thee, Their children too upon thy throne 13, 14 For Sion does, in God's esteem, all other seats excel; His place of everlasting rest, where he desires to dwell. 15, 16 Her store, says he, I will increase, her poor with plenty bless; Her saints shall shout for joy, her priests my saving health confess. 17 There David's power shall long re |