My life is but a span, Mine age is nought with Thee; Man, in his highest honor, man Is dust and vanity. A shadow even in health, Disquieted with pride; Or, rack'd with care, he heaps up wealth, Which unknown heirs divide. What seek I now, O Lord? My hope is in thy name; Blot out my sins from thy record, Nor give me up to shame. Dumb at thy feet I lie, For thou hast brought me low: Remove thy judgments, lest I die; I faint beneath thy blow. At thy rebuke, the bloom Of man's vain beauty flies, And grief shall, like a moth, consume All that delights our eyes. Have pity on my fears, Hearken to my request, Turn not in silence from my tears, A stranger, Lord, with Thee, O spare me yet, I pray; Awhile my strength restore, Ere I am summon'd hence away, And seen on earth no more. Why art thou east down, my soul? PSALM XLII. No. 2. HEARKEN, Lord, to my complaints, In the land I left behind, Where the streams of Jordan flow Tempest-tost, my failing bark Once the morning's earliest light Why, my soul, art thou perplex'd? When his countenance shall shine PSALM XLII. No. 1. As the hart, with eager looks, Tears my food by night, by day For in Lappier times, I went PSALM LXIII. [Continuation of Psalm XLII.J JUDGE me, Lord, in righteousness; Be thy love my confidence. Send thy light and truth to guide In thy tabernacles blest; There, to God, my chiefest joy, Why, my soul, art thou dismay'd? 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, 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; His banner shall advance, And every realm beneath the sun God is gone up with loud acclaim, Sing praises to our God; sing praise All tongues, all kindred sing. God sits upon his holy throne, God o'er the heathen reigns; His truth through all the world is known, That truth his throne sustains. Princes around his footstool throng, Kings in the dust adore; 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, God reigns in her palaces still. 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, His arm shall for ever defend. 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, Not streaming blood, nor purging fire, 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, When, praying in the holy place, Yet through this rough and thorny maze, I safely tread where Thou hast trod. Thee, in the watches of the night, Dearer than all beside to me; 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; PSALM LXX. HASTEN, Lord, to my release, Evil thoughts my soul assail; 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, 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, I know my God,-by Him am known. Forsake me not in my last hour; The foe hath not forgone his rage, The lion ravens to devour. Not far, my God, not far remove: Sin and the world still spread their snares; 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 While sun and moon endure,Beloved, obey'd, revered: For He shall judge the poor, 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, To Thee my spirit flies: Scarce can my voice complain; Mine eyes, with tears kept waking, Still watch and weep in vain. 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, |