a When Heaven shines round with dreadful light The earth lies still and fears.
-8 When God, in his own sovereign ways,
Comes down to save th' oppress'd,
The wrath of inan shall work his praise;
And he'll restrain the rest.
9 [Vow to the Lord, and tribute bring;
Ye princes, fear his frown:
His terrours shake the proudest king,
And cut an army down.
10 The thunder of his sharp rebuke
Our haughty foes shall feel:
For Jacob's God hath not forsook,
But dwells in Zion still.]
PSALM 77. C. M. 1st Part. Abridge. [b]
Melancholy and Hope.
TI sought nis gracious ear,
O God I cry'd with mournful voice,
In the sad day when troubles rose,
And fill'd my heart with fear.
p 2 Sad were my days, and dark my nights,
My soul refus'd relief;
I thought on God, the just and wise,
But thoughts increas'd my grief.
3 [Still I complain'd, and still oppress'd
My heart began to break:
My God, thy wrath forbade my rest,
And kept my eyes awake.
4 My overwhelming sorrows grew,
Till I could speak no more;
Then I within myself withdrew,
And call'd thy judgments o'er.
5 I call'd back years and ancient times
When I beheld thy face;
My spirit search'd for secret crimes,
That might withhold thy grace.
6 I call'd thy mercies to my mind,
Which I enjoy'd before:
And will the Lord no more be kind
His face appear no more?]
e 7 Wil! he for ever cast me off?
His promise ever fail?
p Has he forgot his tender love? Shall anger still prevail?
-8 But I forbid this hopeless thought, This dark, despairing frame,
Rememb'ring what thy hand hath wrought;
Thy hand is still the same.
o 9 I'll think again of all thy ways,
And talk thy wonders o'er;
Thy wonders of recov'ring grace,
When flesh could hope no more.
o 10 Grace dwells with justice on the throne;
And men who love thy word,
Have in thy sanctuary known
The counsels of the I ord.
C. M. 2nd Part. Wantage. [*]
Israel brought from Egypt to Canaan.
HOW awful is thy chast ning rod"—
(May thine own children say)
The great, the wise, the dreadful God!
How holy is his way!'
-2 [I'll meditate his works of old;
The King who reigns above,
I'll hear his ancient wonders told,
And learn to trust his love.]
3 Long did the house of Joseph lie,
With Egypt's yoke oppress'd;
Long he delay'd to hear their cry,
Nor gave his people rest.
4 The sons of good old Jacob seem'd
Abandon'd to their foes;
o Bat his almighty arm redeem'd The nation that he chose.
-5 Israel, his people and his sheep,
Must follow where he calls;
He bade them venture through the deep
And made the waves their walls!
e 6 The waters saw thee, mighty God,
The waters saw thee come;
u Backward they fled, and frighted stood, To make thine armies room.
-7 Strange was thy journey through the sea, Thy footsteps, Lord, unknown;
Terrours attend the wondrous way,
That brings thy mercies down.
d 8 [Thy voice, with terrour in the sound,
Through clouds and darkness broke;
All heaven in lightning shone around,
And earth with thunder shook.
9 Thine arrows through the sky were hurl'd; How glorious is the Lord!
Surprise and trembling şeiz'd the world,
And his own saints ador'd.
-10 He gave them water from the rock;
And safe, by Moses' hand,
Through a dry desert led his flock,
Home to the promis'd land.]
PSALM 78. C. M. 1st Part. Mear. [*]
Providence of God rehearsed to Children.
ET children hear the mighty deeds,
1LWhich God perform'd of old;
Which in our younger years we saw,
And which our fathers told.
2 He bids us make his glories known,
His works of power and grace;
And we'll convey his wonders down
Through ev'ry 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 practise his commands.
C. M. 2nd Part. China. [b*]
Israel's Rebellion and Punishment.
H what a stiff rebellious house
Was Jacob's ancient race!
False to their own most solemn vows,
And to their Maker's grace.
2 They broke the cov'nant of his love,
And did his laws despise ;
Forgot the works he wrought, to prove
His power before their eyes.
3 They saw the plagues on Egypt light,
From his revenging hand;
What dreadful tokens of his might
Spread o'er the stubborn land!
4 They saw him cleave the mighty sea,
And march'd with safety through,
With wat'ry walls to guard their way,
'Till they had 'scaped the foe.
(5 A wondrous pillar mark'd the road,
Compos'd of shade and light;
By day it prov'd a shelt'ring cloud,
A leading fire by night.
6 He from the rock their thirst supply'd ;
The gushing waters fell,
And ran in rivers by their side,
A constant miracle.)
e 7 Yet they provok'd the Lord most high, And dar'd distrust his hand :
d'Can he with bread our host supply, 'Amidst this desert land?'
8 The Lord with indignation heard,
And caus'd his wrath to flame;
His terrours ever stand prepar'd
To vindicate his name.
C. M. 3rd Part. Reading. [*b]
Chastisement and Salvation.
THEN Israel sins, the Lord reproves,
And fills their hearts with dread;
Yet he forgives the men he loves,
And sends them heavenly bread.
2 He fed them with a lib'ral hand,
And made his treasures known;
He gave the midnight clouds command
To pour provision down.
3 The manna, like a morning shower,
Lay thick around their feet;
The corn of heaven, so light, so pure,
As though 'twere angel's meat.
4 But they in murm'ring language said, 'Manna is all our feast;
<We loath this light, this airy bread, 'We must have flesh to taste.'
5 'Ye shall have flesh to please your lust,' The Lord in wrath reply'd;
And sent them quails, like sand or dust,
Heap'd up from side to side.
6 He gave them all their own desire ;
And greedy as they fed,
His vengeance burnt with secret fire,
And smote the rebels dead.
7 When some were slain, the rest return'd
And sought the Lord with tears;
Under the rod they fear'd and mourn'd,
But soon forgot their fears.
8 Oft he chastis'd, and still forgave,
Till, by his gracious hand,
The nation he resolv'd to save,
Possess'd the promis'd land.]
V. 32, &c. Saints corrected and saved.
GREAT God, how oft did Israel prove,
By turns, thine anger and thy love!'
There, in a glass, our hearts may see
How fickle and how false they be.
2 How soon the faithless Jews forgot
The dreadful wonders God had wrought
Then they provoke him to his face;
Nor fear his power, nor trust his grace.
3 The Lord consum'd their years in pain,
And made their travels long and vain;
A tedious march, through unknown ways,
Wore out their strength, and spent their days
4 Oft, when they saw their brethren slain,
They mourn'd and sought the Lord again;
Call'd him the Rock of their abode,
Their high Redeemer, and their God.
5 Their prayers and vows before him rise.
As flatt'ring words, or solemn lies;
While their rebellious tempers prove
False to his cov'nant and his love
|