5 Their impious tongues blaspheme The everlasting God:

Their malice blasts the good man's name,
And spreads their lies abroad.

6 But, 1 with flowing tears,
Indulg'd my doubts to rise;
"Is there a God that sees or hears
"The things below the skies ?"]

7 The tumults of my thought
Held me in hard suspense,

8

9

Till to thy house my feet were brought,
To learn thy justice thence.

Thy word with light and power
Did my mistakes amend;

I view'd the sinners' lives before,
But here I learnt their end.

On what a slippery steep
The thoughtless wretches go
And O that dreadful fiery deep,
That waits their fall below!

10 Lord, at thy feet I bow,

My thoughts no more repine; I call my God my portion now, And all my powers are thine.

PSALM 74.-C. M. [*]

The church pleading with God under sore per

1

secution.

ILL God forever cast us off?
His wrath forever smoke

Against the people of his love,
His little chosen flock?

2 Think of the tribes so dearly bought
With their Redeemer's blood;

Nor let thy Zion be forgot,
Where once thy glory stood.

3 Lift up thy feet and march in haste,
Aloud our ruin calls;

See what a wide and fearful waste
Is made within thy walls.

4 Where once thy churches pray'd and sang,
Thy foes profanely roar;
Over thy gates their ensigns hang,
Sad tokens of their power.

5 How are the seats of worship broke!
They tear thy building down;
And he that deals the heaviest stroke,
Procures the chief renown.

With flames they threaten to destroy
Thy children in their nest;
"Come let us burn at once," they cry,
"The temple and the priest."

7 And still, to heighten our distress,
Thy presence is withdrawn ;

Thy wonted signs of power and grace,
Thy power and grace are gone.

8 No prophet speaks to calm our woes,
But all the seers mourn;

There's not a soul amongst us knows
The time of thy return.

PAUSE.

9 How long, eternal God! how long
Shall men of pride blaspheme?
Shall saints be made their endless song,
And bear immortal shame?

10 Canst thou forever sit and hear

Thine holy name profan'd?

And still thy jealousy forbear,

And still withhold thine hand?

11 What strange deliverance hast thou In ages long before!

And now no other God we own,

No other God adore.

12 Thou didst divide the raging sea, By thy resistless might,

[shown

To make thy tribes a wondrous way,
And then secure their flight.

18 Is not the world of nature thine,
The darkness and the day?
Didst thou not bid the morning shine,
And mark the sun his way ?

14 Hath not thy power form'd every coast,
And set the earth its bounds,
With summer's heat, and winter's frost,
In their perpetual rounds?

15 And shall the sons of earth and dust
That sacred power blaspheme?

Will not thy hand, that form'd them first,
Avenge thine injured name?

16 Think on the cov'nant thou hast made, And all thy words of love:

Nor let the birds of prey invade
And vex thy mourning dove.

17 Our foes would triumph in our blood,
And make our hopes their jest:
Plead thine own cause, Almighty God,
And give thy children rest.

PSALM 75.-L. M. [*] Power and government from God alone. thee, most holy, and most high,

1TTo thee we bring our thankful praise;

Thy works declare thy name is nigh, Thy works of wonder and of grace. "To slavery doom'd, thy chosen sons "Beheld their foes triumphant rise; "And, sore oppress'd by earthly thrones, "They sought the Sovereign of the skies. 3 ""Twas then, great God, with equal power, "Arose thy vengeance and thy grace, "To scourge their legions from the shore, "And save the remnant of thy race." 4 Let haughty sinners sink their pride, Nor lift so high their scornful head; But lay their foolish thoughts aside, And own the “empire” God hath made. 5 Such honours never come by chance, Nor do the wads promotion blow; 'Tis God the judge doth one advance, 'Tis God that lays another low.

6 No vain pretence to royal birth
Shall fix a tyrant on the throne;
God, the great sov'reign of the earth,
Will rise and make his justice known.
7 [His hand holds out the dreadful cup
Of vengeance, mix'd with various plagues,
To make the wicked drink them up,
Wring out, and taste the bitter dregs.
8 Nor shall the Lord exalt the just:
And while he tramples on the proud,
And lays their glory in the dust,
Our lips shall sing his praise aloud.]

PSALM 76 C. M. [*]

Israel saved, and the Assyrians destroyed; or, God's vengeance against his enemies proceeds from his church.

1 IN Judah God of old was known;
His name in Israel great;

In Salem stood his holy throne,
And Zion was his seat.

2 Among the praises of his saints,
His dwelling there he chose;
There he receiv'd their just complaints
Against their haughty foes.

3 From Zion went his dreadful word,
And broke the threatening spear,
The bow, the arrows, and the sword,
And crush'd th' Assyrian war.

What are the earth's wide kingdoms else
But mighty hills of prey?

The hill on which Jehovah dwells

Is glorious more than they.

5 'Twas Zion's King that stopp'd the breath Of captains and their bands:

The men of might slept fast in death,
And never found their hands.

6 At thy rebuke, O Jacob's God,
Both horse and chariot fell!
Who knows the terror of thy rod!
Thy vengeance, who can tell!

7 What power can stand before thy sight, When once thy wrath appears?

When heaven shines round with dreadful
The earth lies still and fears.

[light,

8 When God, in his own sovereign ways, Comes down to save th' oppress'd