1 THOU, gracious God, art my defence;
On thee my hopes rely:
Thou art my glory, and shalt yet
Lift up my head on high,

2 Since whensoe'er, in my distress,
TO GOD I made my prayer,
He heard me from his holy hill;
Why should I now despair?
3 Guarded by him I lay me down
My sweet repose to take;
For I through him securely sleep,
Through him in safety wake.
4 Salvation to the LORD belongs;
He only can defend :

His blessings he extends to all
That on his power depend.

PSALM 4. C. M.

From the iv. Psalm of David.

CONSIDER that the righteous man
Is God's peculiar choice;
And when to him I make my prayer,
He always hears my voice.

2 Then stand in awe of his commands,
Flee every thing that 's ill,
Commune in private with your hearts,
And bend them to his will.

3 The sacrifice of righteousness
Present to GoD on high;

And let your hope, securely fix'd,
On him alone rely.

4 While worldly minds impatient grow
More prosperous times to see;
Still let the glories of thy face
Shine brightly, LORD, on me.

5 So shall my heart o'erflow with joy,
More lasting and more true

Than theirs, who stores of corn and wine
Successively renew.

6 Then down in peace I'll lay my head,
And take my needful rest;
No other guard, O LORD, I crave,
Of thy defence possess'd.

PSALM 5. L. M.

From the v. Psalm of David.

1 REGARD my words, O gracious LORD
Accept my secret prayer;

To thee alone, my King, my God,
Will I for help repair.

2 Thou in the morn my voice shalt hear,
And, with the dawning day,

To thee devoutly I'll look up,
To thee devoutly pray.

3 LORD, I within thy house will come,
In thy abundant grace;

And I will worship in thy fear,
Tow'rd thy most holy place.

4 Let those, O LORD, who trust in thee,
With shouts their joy proclaim:
Let them rejoice whom thou preserv❜st,
And all that love thy name.

5 To righteous men, the righteous LORD
His blessing will extend;
And with his favor all his saints,
As with a shield, defend,

PSALM 6. S. M.

From the vi. Psalm of David.

1 IN mercy, not in wrath,

Rebuke me, gracious GOD!
Lest, if thy whole displeasure rise,
I sink beneath thy rod.

2 Touch'd by thy quick'ning power,
My load of guilt I feel:

The wounds thy Spirit hath unclosed,
O let that Spirit heal.

3 In trouble and in gloom,

Must I for ever mourn?

And wilt thou not, at length, O GOD,
In pitying love return?

4 0 come, ere life expire,

Send down thy power to save ;
For who shall sing thy name in death,
Or praise thee in the grave?

5 Why should I doubt thy grace,
Or yield to dread despair?
Thou wilt fulfil thy promised word,
And grant me all my prayer.

PSALM 7. C. M.

From the viii. Psalm of David.

1 0 THOU, to whom all creatures bow
Within this earthly frame,

Through all the world how great art thou!
How glorious is thy name!

2 In heaven thy wondrous acts are sung,
Nor fully reckon'd there ;

And yet thou mak'st the infant tongue
Thy boundless praise declare.

3 When heaven, thy beauteous work on high,
Employs my wond'ring sight;

The moon, that nightly rules the sky,
With stars of feebler light ;-

4 Oh, what is man, that, LORD, thou lov'st
To keep him in thy mind?

Or what his offspring, that thou prov'st
To them so wondrous kind?

5 Him next in power thou didst create
To thy celestial train;
Ordain'd with dignity and state,
O'er all thy works to reign.

6 They jointly own his powerful sway :
The beasts that prey or graze;
The bird that wings its airy way;
The fish that cuts the seas.

70 Thou, to whom all creatures bow
Within this earthly frame,

Through all the world how great art thou!
How glorious is thy name!

PSALM 8. C. M.

From the ix. Psalm of David.

1 TO celebrate thy praise, O LORD,
I will my heart prepare ;
To all the list'ning world, thy works,
Thy wondrous works, declare.

2 The thought of them shall to my soul
Exalted pleasures bring;

Whilst to thy name, O thou Most High,
Triumphant praise I sing.

3 The LORD for ever lives, who has

His righteous throne prepared,

Impartial justice to dispense,
To punish or reward.

1 THE LORD a holy temple hath,
And righteous throne, above;
Whence he surveys the sons of men,
And how their counsels move,

2 If God the righteous, whom he loves,
For trial does correct,

What must the sons of violence,
Whom he abhors, expect?

3 Snares, fire, and brimstone, on their heads
Shall in one tempest shower;

This dreadful mixture his revenge
Into their cup shall pour,

4 The righteous LORD will righteous deeds
With signal favor grace,

And to the upright man disclose
The brightness of his face.

From the xiii. Psalm of David.

1 HOW long wilt thou forget me, LORD?
Must I for ever mourn?

How long wilt thou withdraw from me,
Oh! never to return?

2 O hear, and to my longing eyes
Restore thy wonted light,
Dawn on my spirit, lest I sleep
In death's most gloomy night.

3 Since I have always placed my trust
Beneath thy mercy's wing,

Thy saving health will come; and then
My heart with joy shall spring.

4 Then shall my song, with praise inspired,
To thee, my Gon, ascend,

Who to thy servant in distress
Such bounty didst extend.

1 THE LORD look'd down from heaven's high tower,

And all the sons of men did view,

To see if any own'd his power,

If any truth or justice knew ;

2 But all, he saw, were gone aside,
All were degen'rate grown and base ;
None took religion for their guide,
Not one of all the sinful race.

3 How will they tremble then for fear,
When his just wrath shall them o'ertake:
For to the righteous GoD is near,

And never will their cause forsake.

4 0 that from Sion he 'd employ

His might, and burst th' oppressive band! Then shouts of universal joy

Should loudly echo through the land.

1 LORD, who's the happy man that may
To thy blest courts repair,
Not, stranger-like, to visit them,
But to inhabit there?

2 'T is he who walketh uprightly,
Whom righteousness directs;
Whose gen'rous tongue disdains to speak
The thing his heart rejects.

3 Who never did a slander forge,
His neighbor's fame to wound;
Nor hearken to a false report
By malice whisper'd round.

4 Who vice, in all its pomp and power,
Can treat with just neglect;

And piety, though clothed in rags,
Religiously respect.

5 Who to his plighted vows and trust
Has ever firmly stood;

And, though he promise to his loss,
He makes his promise good.

6 Whose soul in usury disdains
His treasure to employ ;

Whom no rewards can ever bribe
The guiltless to destroy.

7 The man, who by this righteous course
Has happiness insured,

When earth's foundation shakes, shall stand,
By Providence secured.