5 For me, my God, 'tis good and just
That I should still to thee repair;
In thee repose my constant trust,
And all thy wond'rous works declare.
PSALM LXXIV. 1–4. 22.
1 Why hast thou cast us off, O God?
Wilt thou no more return?
Oh! why against thy chosen flock
Should thy fierce anger burn?
2 Think on thy ancient purchase, Lord;
The land that is thine own;
The sacred land, fair Zion's mount,
Where once thy glory shone.
3 O come and view our ruin'd state!
How long our troubles last!
See how the foe, with wicked rage,
Has laid thy temple waste.
4 They dare blaspheme thy holy name,
Where once thy servants pray'd;
Within the temple's sacred bounds
Their banners are display'd.
4 Arise, .O God! maintain thy cause;
Dejected Zion raise;
Vanquish her foes; assert her rights;
And thine shall be the praise.
PSALM LXXVII.
PART 1. 7-12.
1 "Will God," I mourning cried,
"Forever cast away?
His gracious favour, still denied,
Will he no more display?
2 "Shall all his mercies fail?
Those mercies so divine!
Nought shall those promises avail,
Whereon my hopes recline?
3" Will God no more renew
The mem❜ry of his grace?
No more his tender mercies show,
But hide in frowns his face?">
4 No-'tis a faithless thought,
My own infirmity;
I will recall the wonders wrought
By thy right hand, Most High.
5 I'll think thy mercies o'er;
Thy power and love proclaim:
So shall my soul thy truth adore,
And rest upon thy name.
PART II. 16-20.
1 The waters saw thee, mighty Lord!
The waters saw thee, and were aw'd!
Old ocean trembled-all its waves
Were troubled to their deepest caves.
2 The clouds pour'd out their wat❜ry store,
Amid the storm's tempestuous roar;
Thy red wing'd arrows flew abroad,
While sounding skies announc'd the God.
3 And as thy voice around the pole,
In awful threats was heard to roll,
Earth trembling groan'd, while o'er her head,
In livid sheets thy lightnings sped.
4 Mysterious God, thy trackless way
Lies in the deep unfathom'd sea:
No mortal thought can ever trace
Thy wond'rous steps of power and grace.
PSALM LXXVIII. 3-7
1 Let children hear the mighty deeds
Which God perform'd of old,
Which in our younger years we saw,
And our forefathers told.
2 He bids us make his glories known,
His works of power and grace;
And we'll convey his wonders down,
Through every rising race.
3 Our lips shall tell them to our sons,
And they again to theirs;
That generations yet unborn
May teach them to their heirs.
4 Thus shall they learn, in God alone
Their hope securely stands;
That they may ne'er forget his works,
But practice his commands.
PSALM LXXXI. 1—4.
1 To God, our everlasting strength,
Your loftiest anthems sing,
And make a loud, harmonious noise
To Jacob's glorious king.
2 Compose your hymns of sweetest praise,
Swell all your notes of joy;
The mellow pipe, the cheerful string
Your grateful skill employ.
3 Loud let the silver trumpets pour
Their sounding notes of praise,
To usher in the great new moon,
And mark the festal days.
For this a statute was of old
By Jacob's God decreed,
To be with pious care observ'd
By Israel's chosen seed.
PSALM LXXXIV.
PART I. 1-8.
1 Lord of the worlds above!
How pleasant and how fair
The dwellings of thy love,
Thine earthly temples are.
To thine abode
My heart aspires,
With warm desires
To see my God.
2 Within thy hallow'd dome
The sparrow builds her nest;
Thy altars are a home
Where wandering swallows rest:
Like them, my God,
I would be blest,
And find my rest
In thy abode.
30 happy souls that pray,
Where God appoints to hear!
O happy men that pay
Their constant service there!
They praise thee still;
Thrice happy they
That love the way
To Zion's hill.
4 They go from strength to strength,
Through this dark vale of tears,
Till each arrives at length,
Till each in heaven appears.
To that blest seat
O God, our king,
Direct and bring
Our willing feet.
1 Happy are they, my God and King,
Who in thy courts abide;
One day within those courts exceeds
A thousand days beside.
2 Yea, at the threshold of thy house
My soul would rather wait,
Than dwell, with all the pomp of sin,
In tents of worldly state.
3 For thou who art a sun and shield,
Wilt grace and glory give,
And no good thing withhold from those
Who in thy statutes live.
4 O God, whom heaven's bright armies fear!
Forever blest is he,
Whose single hope, and constant faith
Are firm repos'd in thee.
PSALM LXXXV. 10-13.
Appointed by the Church for Christmas day.
1 Mercy and truth together meet,
In our Immanuel's face;
There peace and righteousness divine
With smiles of love embrace.
2 See springing from the joyful earth,
Eternal truth arise;
|