PSALM XXXVI. 1-7. Short Metre.

The wickedness of man, and the majefty of God; or, practical atheism exposed.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

WMy heart within me cries,

HEN man grows bold in fin,

"He hath no faith of God within,
"Nor fear before his eyes."

[He walks awhile concoal'd
In a felf-flatt'ring dream,

Till his dark crimes, at once reveal'd,

Expose his hateful name.]

His heart is falfe and foul,

His words are smooth and fair Wisdom is banish'd from his foul, And leaves no goodness there.

He plots upon his bed,

New mifchiefs to fulfil;

He fets his heart, his hands, his head,
To practife all that's ill.

But there's a dreadful God,

Though men renounce his fear;
His juftice, hid behind the cloud,
Shall one great day appear.

His truth tranfcends the fky:
In heav'n his mercies dwell;
Deep as the fea his judgments lie,
His anger burns to hell.

How excellent his love!

Whence all our fafety fprings:

O never let my foul remove
From underneath his wings!

PSALM XXXVII. 1ft Part. Com.Met.

Ver. 1-15.

The cure of envy, fretfulness and unbelief: or, the rewards of the righteous, and the wicked: or, the world's hatred, and the faint's patience.

I

HY fhould I vex my foul, and fret

WHY

To fee the wicked rife?

Or envy finners, waxing great

By violence and lies?

2 As flow'ry grafs cut down at noon,
Before the ev'ning fades,

So fhall their glòries vanish foon
In everlasting fhades.

3 Then let me make the Lord my trust,
And practise all that's good;
So fhall I dwell among the just,
And he'll provide me food.
4 I to my God my ways commit,
And cheerful wait his will;

5

Thy hand, which guides my doubtful feet,
Shall my defires fulfil.

Mine innocence fhalt thou difplay,

And make thy judgments known,
Fair as the light of dawning day,
And glorious as the noon.

6 The meek, at laft, the earth poffefs,
And are the heirs of heav'n :
True riches, with abundant peace,
To humble fouls are given.

PAUSE.

7 Reft in the Lord, and keep his way,
Nor let your anger rife,

Though providence fhould long delay
To punish haughty vice.

8 Let finners join to break your peace,
And plot, and rage, and foam ;
The Lord derides them, for he fees
Their day of vengeance come.

9 They have drawn out the threat'ning sword,
Have bent the murd'rous bow,
To flay the men that fear the Lord,
And bring the righteous low.

10 My God fhall break their bows, and burn Their perfecuting darts;

Shall their own fwords against them turn, And pain furprise their hearts.

PSALM XXXVII. 2d Part. Com.Met. Ver. 16, 21, 26-31..

WHY

Charity to the poor; or, religion in words and deeds.
I THY do the wealthy wicked boast,
And grow profanely bold?
The meanest portion of the juft
Excels the finner's gold.

2 The wicked borrows of his friends,
But ne'er defigns to pay;

The faint is merciful, and lends,
Nor turns the poor away.

3 His alms, with lib'ral heart, he gives
Amongst the fons of need;
His mem'ry to long ages lives,
And bleffed is his feed.

4 His lips abhor to talk profane,
To flander or defraud;

5

His ready tongue declares to men
What he has learn'd of God.

The law and gofpel of the Lord
Deep in his heart abide ;

Led by the fpirit and the word,
His feet fhall never flide.

6 When finners fall, the righteous ftand,
Preferv'd from ev'ry fnare;
They fhall poffefs the promis'd land,
And dwell for ever there.

PSALM XXXVII. 3d Part. Com.Met.

1

Ver. 23-37.

The way and end of the righteous and the wicked. Y God, the fteps of pious men Are order'd by thy will;

M

Though they fhould fall, they rife again,
Thy hand fupports them ftill.

2 The Lord delights to fee their ways,
Their virtue he approves:

He'll ne'er deprive them of his grace,
Nor leave the men he loves.

3 The heav'nly heritage is theirs,
Their portion and their home;

He feeds them now, and makes them heirs
Of bleffings long to come.

4 Wait on the Lord, ye fons of men,
Nor fear when tyrants frown;
Ye fhall confefs their pride was vain,
When justice cafts them down.

PAUSE.

5 The haughty finner have I seen,
Not fearing man nor God,

Like a tall bay tree, fair and green,
Spreading his arms abroad.

6 And lo, he vanish'd from the ground,
Destroy'd by hands unfeen;

Nor root nor branch, nor leaf was found, Where all that pride had been. 7 But mark the man of righteousness, His fev'ral steps attend';

True pleasure runs through all his ways, And peaceful is his end.

PSALM XXXVIII. Com. Metre. Guilt of confcience and relief; or, repentance and prayer for pardon and health.

A

MIDST thy wrath remember love,
Reftore thy fervant, Lord,

Nor let a father's chaft'ning prove
Like an avenger's fword.

2 Thine arrows ftick within my heart,
My flesh is forely prefs'd;
Between the forrow and the fmart,
My spirit finds no rest.

3 My fins a heavy load appear,
And o'er my head are gone;
Too heavy they for me to bear,
Too hard for me t' atone.

4 My thoughts are like a troubled fea,
My head ftill bending down ;
And I go mourning all the day
Beneath my Father's frown.

5 Lord, I am weak and broken fore,
None of my pow'rs are whole;
The inward anguish makes me roar,
The anguish of my foul.

6 All my defire to thee is known,
Thine eye counts ev'ry tear,
And ev'ry figh and ev'ry groan
Is notic'd by thine ear.