7. He knows the heart, he tries the reins, He will defend th' upright; His fharpeft arrows he ordains Against the fons of spite. 8. For me their malice digg'd a pit, But there themfelves are caft; My God makes all their mischief light On their own heads at last. Muft feel his dreadful fword. 9. That cruel perfecuting race Awake my Soul! and praise the grace And juftice of the Lord *. 28 32 36 God's fovereignty and goodness, and man's dominion over the creatures. O Lord, our heav'nly King, Thy name is all divine, Thy glories round the earth are spread, And o'er the heav'ns they shine. 2. When to thy works on high I raife my wond'ring eyes, Adorn the darksome skies; 8 *In this Pfalm I have not exactly followed every single verse of the Pfalmift, but have endeavoured to contract the fubftance. of it into fewer lines, yet not without a regard to the literal fenfe and words alfo, as will appear by the comparison. 3. When I furvey the stars And all their fhining forms, Lord what is man, that worthlefs thing, 4. Lord what is worthlefs man 5. Thine honours crown his head While beafts like flaves obey, And birds that cut the air with wings 6. How rich thy bounties are! And wondrous are thy ways! Of duft and worms thy pow'r can frame A monument of praife. [7. Out of the mouths of babes And fucklings thou canst draw Surprifing honours to thy name, And ftrike the world with awe. 8. O Lord our heav'nly King Thy name is all divine; Thy glories round the earth are fpread, I 16 20 24 28 32 + Stanza vii. The tranfpofing of the ad verfe of this Pfalm towards the end will not appear offenfive, fince the connexion of it with the other parts of the Pfalm appears so much more blc. PSALM VIII. Common Metre. Chrift's condefcenfion and glorification, or, God made man. O Lord our Lord, how wondrous great Is thine exalted name! The glories of thy heav'nly state Let men and babes proclaim. 2. When I behold thy works on high, 3. Lord! what is man, or all his race, Who dwells fo far below, That thou fhouldst visit him with grace, 8 [5. Yet while he liv'd on earth unknown, And men would not adore, Th' obedient feas and fifhes own His godhead and his pow'r. 20 6. The waves lay spread beneath his feet, And fish at his command Bring their large fhoals to Peter's net, 24 7. Thefe leffer glories of the Son 28 PSALM VIII. ver. I, 2. paraphrased. The first part. Long Metre. The Hofanna of the children, or, Infants praising God. ALMIGHTY Ruler of the skies, Thro' the wide earth thy name is spread, And thine eternal glories rife O'er all the heav'ns thy hands have made. 4 + Stan. iv. If the citation of part of this Pfalm by the apostle, Heb. ii. 5. be but a mere allufion, yet it affords ground enough for the turn I have given it in this version, and the application of it to Chrift.-Stanza vi. line 1. Jefus went to them walking on the fea, Matt. xiv. 25.-Line 2. He said to Simon, Lanch out, e. and they enclosed a great multitude of fishes, Luke v. 4, 6.-Line 4. Caft an book and take up the fish-thou shalt find piece of money, c. Matt. xvii. 27. 2. To thee the voices of the young 3. Thy pow'r affifts their tender age 4. Children amidst thy temple throng To fee their great Redeemer's face; 'The Son of David is their fong, And young hofannas fill the place. 5. The frowning scribes and angry priests In vain their impious cavils bring; Revenge fits filent in their breafts Whilft Jewish babes proclaim their King *. 8 12 16 20 PSALM VIII. ver. 3, &c. paraphrafed. The fecond part. Long Metre. Adam and Chrift lords of the old and the new creation. LORD, what was man when made at first, Adam the offspring of the dust, That thou fhouldft fet him and his race But just below an angel's place? *The two firft verfes are here paraphrafed, and explained by the hiftory of the children crying Hofanna to Chrift, Matt. xxi. 15, 16. where our Saviour cites and applies thofe words of the Pfalmift. E |