Whom thou to different realms may'st send,

to govern and protect:

17 Whilst this my song to future times
transmits thy glorious name;

And makes the world, with one consent,
thy lasting praise proclaim.
PSALM 46.

Gpresent help when dangers press;

OD is our refuge in distress;

in him, undaunted, we'll confide;

2, 3 Though earth were from her centre tost, And mountains in the ocean lost,

torn piece-meal by the roaring tide. 4 A gentler stream with gladness still The city of our Lord shall fill,

the royal seat of God most high: 5 God dwells in Sion, whose fair towers Shall mock the assaults of earthly powers, while his Almighty aid is nigh.

6 In tumults when the heathen raged, And kingdoms war against us waged,

he thunder'd, and dispersed their powers: 7 The Lord of hosts conducts our arms, Our tower of refuge in alarms,

our fathers' Guardian-God and ours.

On earth what desolation brought; 8 Come, see the wonders he hath wrought,

how he has calm'd the jarring world: 9 He broke the warlike spear and bow; With them their thundering chariots too into devouring flames were hurl'd. For him the heathen shall obey, 10 Submit to God's Almighty sway;

and earth her Sovereign Lord confess : 11 The God of hosts conducts our arms, Our tower of refuge in alarms,

as to our fathers in distress. PSALM 47.

ALL ye people, clap your hands, and with triumphant voices sing; No force the mighty power withstands of God, the universal King.

3, 4 He shall opposing nations quell,
and with success our battles fight;
Shall fix the place where we must dwell,
the pride of Jacob, his delight.

5, 6 God is gone up, our Lord and King, with shouts of joy, and trumpets' sound; To him repeated praises sing,

and let the cheerful song rebound.

7, 8 Your utmost skill in praise be shown, for him who all the world commands, Who sits upon his righteous throne,

and spreads his sway o'er heathen lands.

9 Our chiefs and tribes that far from hence to serve the God of Abr'am came, Found him their constant sure defence: how great and glorious is his name! PSALM 48.

THE Lord, the only God, is great,

Tand greatly to be praised

In Sion, on whose happy mount

his sacred throne is raised.

2 Her towers, the joy of all the earth,
with beauteous prospect rise;
On her north side the Almighty King's
imperial city lies.

3 God in her palaces is known;

his presence is her guard :

4 Confederate kings withdrew their siege, and of success despair'd.

5 They view'd her walls, admired, and fled, with grief and terror struck;

6 Like women, whom the sudden pangs of travail had o'ertook.

7 No wretched crew of mariners appear like them forlorn,

When fleets from Tarshish' wealthy coasts by eastern winds are torn.

8 In Sion we have seen perform'd a work that was foretold,

In pledge that God, for times to come,
his city will uphold.

9 Not in our fortresses and walls
did we, O God, confide;
But on the temple fix'd our hopes,
in which thou dost reside.

10 According to thy Sovereign name,
thy praise through earth extends;
Thy powerful arm, as justice guides,
chastises or defends.

11 Let Sion's mount with joy resound; her daughters all be taught

In songs his judgments to extol,

who this deliverance wrought.

12 Compass her walls in solemn pomp ;
your eyes quite round her cast;
Count all her towers, and see if there
you find one stone displaced.
13 Her forts and palaces survey;
observe their order well;

That, with assurance, to your heirs
his wonders you may tell.

14 This God is ours, and will be ours,
whilst we in him confide;
Who, as he has preserved us now,
till death will be our guide.

Let high and low, and rich and poor, with joint consent give ear.

3 My mouth, with sacred wisdom fill'd, shall good advice impart ;

The sound result of prudent thoughts, digested in my heart.

4 To parables of weighty sense

I will my ear incline;

Whilst to my tuneful harp I sing

dark words of deep design.

5 Why should my courage fail in times of danger and of doubt,

When sinners, that would me supplant, have compass'd me about?

6 Those men, that all their hope and trust in heaps of treasure place,

And boast in triumph, when they see their ill-got wealth increase,

7 Are yet unable from the grave their dearest friend to free;

Nor can, by force of bribes, reverse the Almighty Lord's decree.

8, 9 Their vain endeavours they must quit; the price is held too high;

No sums can purchase such a grant, that man should never die.

10 Not wisdom can the wise exempt, nor fools their folly save;

But both must perish, and in death their wealth to others leave.

11 For though they think their stately seats
shall ne'er to ruin fall,

But their remembrance last in lands
which by their names they call;
12 Yet shall their fame be soon forgot
how great soe'er their state

With beasts their memory, and they
shall share one common fate.
PART II.

13 How great their folly is, who thus
absurd conclusions make!
And yet their children, unreclaim'd,
repeat the gross mistake.

14 They all, like sheep to slaughter led,
the prey of death are made;
Their beauty, while the just rejoice,
within the grave shall fade.

15 But God will yet redeem my soul,
and from the greedy grave

His greater power shall set me free, and to himself receive.

16 Then fear not thou, when worldly men in envy'd wealth abound;

Nor though their prosperous house increase with state and honour crown'd.

17 For when they're summon'd hence by deata, they leave all this behind;

No shadow of their former pomp

within the grave they find:

18 And yet they thought their state was blest, caught in the flatterer's snare,

Who with their vanity comply'd,

and praised their worldly care.

19 In their forefathers' steps they tread;
and when like them they die,
Their wretched ancestors and they
in endless darkness lie.

20 For man, bow great soe'er his state,
unless he's truly wise,

As like a sensual beast he lives,

so like a beast he dies.

PSALM 50.

And offerings bring with constant care: The heavens his justice shall declare;) for God himself shall sentence give. 7, 8 Attend, my people; Israel, hear; Thy strong accuser I'll appear;

thy God, thy only God am I: 'Tis not of offerings I complain, Which, daily in my temple slain, my sacred altar did supply.

9 Will this alone atonement make? No bullock from thy stall I'll take,

nor he-goat from thy fold accept : 10 The forest beasts, that range alone, The cattle too are all my own,

that on a thousand hills are kept.

11 I know the fowls, that build their nests In craggy rocks; and savage beasts,

that loosely haunt the open fields: 12 If seized with hunger I could be, I need not seek relief from thee,

since the world's mine, and all it yields. 13 Think'st thou that I have any need On slaughter'd bulls and goats to feed, to eat their flesh and drink their blood? 14 The sacrifices I require,

Are hearts which strictest care made good. love and zeal inspire,

HAVE mercy, Lord, on me, thou wert ever kind;

Let me, oppress'd with loads of guilt, thy wonted mercy find.

2, 3 Wash off my foul offence, and cleanse me from my sin; For I confess my crime, and see how great my guilt has been.

Have I transgress'd; and, though condemn'd, must own thy judgment right.

5 In guilt each part was form'd of all this sinful frame;

In guilt I was conceived, and born
the heir of sin and shame.

6 Yet thou, whose searching eye
does inward truth require,
In secret didst with wisdom's laws
my tender soul inspire.

7 With hyssop purge me, Lord,
and so I clean shall be:

I shall with snow in whiteness vie, when purify'd by thee:

8 Make me to hear with joy

thy kind forgiving voice;

That so the bones which thou hast broke
may with fresh strength rejoice.

9, 10 Blot out my crying sins,
nor me in anger view:
Create in me a heart that's clean,
an upright mind renew.
PART II.
11 Withdraw not thou thy help,
nor cast me from thy sight;
Nor let thy holy Spirit take
its everlasting flight.

12 The joy thy favour gives,
let me again obtain;

And thy free Spirit's firm support
my fainting soul sustain.
13 So I thy righteous ways
to sinners will impart;

Whilst my advice shall wicked men
to thy just laws convert.

14 My guilt of blood remove,
my Saviour and my God;
And my glad tongue shall loudly tell
thy righteous acts abroad.

15 Do thou unlock my lips,

with sorrow closed and shame ;

So shall my mouth thy wondrous praise to all the world proclaim.

16 Could sacrifice atone,

whole flocks and herds should die; But on such offerings thou disdain'st to cast a gracious eye.

17 A broken spirit is

by God most highly prized; By him a broken contrite heart shall never be despised.

18 Let Sion favour find,
of thy good will assured;
And thy own city flourish long,
by lofty walls secured.
19 The just shall then attend,
and pleasing tribute pay;
And sacrifice of choicest kind
upon thy altar lay.

PSALM 52.

N vain, O man of lawless might, thou boast'st thyself in ill;

Since God, the God in whom I trust, vouchsafes his favour still.

HE wicked fools must sure suppose

Tthat God is but a name,

This gross mistake their practice shows, since virtue all disclaim.

2 The Lord look'd down from heaven's high

the sons of men to view;

To see if any own'd his power,

or truth or justice knew.

3 But all, he saw, were backward gone,
degenerate grown and base;
None for religion cared, not one
of all the sinful race.

4 But are those workers of deceit

so dull and senseless grown,

That they like bread my people eat, and God's just power disown?

5 Their causeless fear shall strangely grow; and they, despised of God,

Shall soon be foil'd; his hand shall throw their shatter'd bones abroad.

6 Would he his saving power employ to break our servile band,

Loud shouts of universal joy should echo through the land.

LORD, save me, for thy glorious name,

and in thy strength appear,

To judge my cause; accept my prayer, and to my words give ear.

3 Mere strangers, whom I never wrong'd, to ruin me design'd;

And cruel men, that fear no God,

against my soul combined.

4, 5 But God takes part with all my friends, and he's the surest guard;

The God of truth shall give my foes their falsehood's due reward;

Whose slanderous tongues, with wrathful hate, against my fame engage.

4,5 My heart is rack'd with pain; my soul with deadly frights distress'd;

With fear and trembling compass'd round, with horror quite oppress'd.

6 How often wish'd I then, that I the dove's swift wings could get; That I might take my speedy flight, and seek a safe retreat.

7,8 Then would I wander far from hence, and in wild deserts stray,

Till all this furious storm were spent, this tempest past away.

PART III.

18 God has released my soul from those
that did with me contend;
And made a numerous host of friends
my righteous cause defend.

19 For he, who was my help of old,
shall now his suppliant hear;
And punish them whose prosperous state
makes them no God to fear.

20 Whom can I trust, if faithless men
perfidiously devise

To ruin me, their peaceful friend,

and break the strongest ties ?

21 Though soft and melting are their words, their hearts with war abound;

Their speeches are more smooth than oil,
and yet like swords they wound.

22 Do thou, my soul, on God depend,
and he shall thee sustain;
He aids the just, whom to supplant
the wicked strive in vain.

23 My foes that trade in lies and blood,
shall all untimely die;

Whilst I, for health and length of days, on thee, my God, rely.

To crush me with repeated wrongs, he daily strife renews.

2 Continually my spiteful foes.

to ruin me combine;

Thou seest, who sitt'st enthroned on high,

what mighty numbers join.

3 But though sometimes surprised by fear, on danger's first alarm;

Yet still for succour I depend

on thy Almighty arm.

4 God's faithful promise I shall praise, on which I now rely;

In God I trust, and, trusting him, the arm of flesh defy.

up,

9 When therefore I invoke thy aid, my foes shall be o'erthrown; For I am well assured that God

my righteous cause will own.

10, 11 I'll trust God's word, and so despise the force that man can raise ;

12 To thee, O God, my vows are due: to thee I'll render praise.

13 Thou hast retrieved my soul from death; and thou wilt still secure

The life thou hast so oft preserved,
and make my footsteps sure:
14 That thus protected by thy power,
I may this life enjoy;
And in the service of my God

my lengthen'd days employ.
PSALM 57.

THY mercy, Lord, to me extend;
On thy protection I depend;
And to thy wing for shelter haste,
Till this outrageous storm is pass'd.
2 To thy tribunal, Lord, I fly,
Thou sovereign Judge, and God most high,
Who wonders hast for me begun,
And wilt not leave thy work undone.
3 From heaven protect me by thine arm,
And shame all those who seek my harm;
To my relief thy mercy send,

And truth, on which my hopes depend.
4 For I with savage men converse,
Like hungry lions wild and fierce;

With men whose teeth are spears, their words Envenom'd darts, and two-edged swords.

5 Be thou, O God, exalted high;

And, as thy glory fills the sky,

So let it be on earth display'd,

Till thou art here, as there, obey'd.

6 To take me they their net prepared,
And had almost my soul ensnared;
But fell themselves, by just decree,
Into the pit they made for me.

7 O God, my heart is fix'd, 'tis bent,
Its thankful tribute to present;
And, with my heart, my voice I'll raise
To thee, my God, in songs of praise:
8 Awake, my glory; harp and lute,
No longer let your strings be mute;
And I, my tuneful part to take,
Will with the early dawn awake.
9 Thy praises, Lord, I will resound
To all the listening nations round;

10 Thy mercy highest heaven transcends;
Thy truth beyond the clouds extends.
11 Be thou, O God, exalted high;
And, as thy glory fills the sky,
So let it be on earth display'd,
Till thou art here, as there, obey'd.
PSALM 58.

SPEAK, O ye judges of the earth,
if just your sentence be;

Or must not innocence appeal
to heaven from your decree?

2 Your wicked hearts and judgments are
alike by malice sway'd;

Your griping hands, by weighty bribes, to violence betray'd.

3 To virtue strangers, from the womb their infant steps went wrong; They prattled slander, and in lies employ'd their lisping tongue.

4 No serpent of parch'd Afric's breed does ranker poison bear;

The drowsy adder will as soon unlock his sullen ear.