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"BY the Bishops, the Clergy, and the Laity of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, in Convention, this twenty-ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty-two; this book of Psalms in Metre, selected from the Psalms of David, with Hymns, is set forth, and allowed to be sung in all congregations of the said Church, before and after Morning and Evening Prayer, and also before and after Sermons, at the discretion of the Minister.

"And it shall be the duty of every Minister of any church, either by standing directions, or from time to time, to appoint the portions of Psalms which are to be sung."

"And further, it shall be the duty of every Minister, with such assistance as he can obtain from persons skilled in music, to give order concerning the tunes to be sung at any time in his church; and especially, it shall be his duty to suppress all light and unseemly music, and all indecency and irreverence in the performance, by which vain and ungodly persons profane the service of the Sanctuary."

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PSALM 1. C. M.
From the i. Psalm of David.

OW blest is he, who ne'er consents

By ill advice to walk,

Nor stands in sinners' ways, nor sits

Where men profanely talk;

2 But makes the perfect law of God
His business and delight;

Devoutly reads therein by day,

And meditates by night.

3 Like some fair tree, which, fed by streams,

With timely fruit does bend,

He still shall flourish, and success

All his designs attend.

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4 Ungodly men, and their attempts,

No lasting root shall find;
Untimely blasted, and dispers'd

Like chaff before the wind.

5 Their guilt shall strike the wicked dumb Before their Judge's face: No formal hypocrite shall then

Among the saints have place.

6 For God approves the just man's ways; To happiness they tend:

But sinners, and the paths they tread, Shall both in ruin end.

PSALM 2. C. M.

From the ii. Psalm of David.

HUS God declares his sovereign will:

"The King that I ordain,
Whose throne is fixed on Sion's hill,
Shall there securely reign."

2 Attend, O earth, whilst I declare
God's uncontroll'd decree:
"Thou art my Son, this day my heir
Have I begotten thee.

3 "Ask, and receive thy full demands;
Thine shall the heathen be ;
The utmost limit of the lands

Shall be possess'd by thee."

4 Learn then, ye princes; and give ear,
Ye judges of the earth;

Worship the Lord with holy fear;
Rejoice with awful mirth.

5 Appease the Son with due respect,

Your timely homage pay:

Lest he revenge the bold neglect,

Incens'd by your delay.

6 If but in part his anger rise,

Who can endure the flame?

Then blest are they, whose hope relies
On his most holy Name.

PSALM 3. C. M.

From the iii. Psalm of David.

HOU, 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 whersoe'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.
ONSIDER 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.
EGARD 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 favour all his saints,
As with a shield, defend.

PSALM 6. S. M.

From the vi. Psalm of David.

SN mercy, not in wrath,

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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 O 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.

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 reckoned there;

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

3 When heaven, thy beauteous work on high, Employs my wondering sight;

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

4 O, 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.

O 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.

4 All those who have his goodness proved, Will in his truth confide;

Whose mercy ne'er forsook the man

That on his help relied.

5 Sing praises therefore to the Lord,
From Sion, his abode;

Proclaim his deeds, till all the world
Confess no other God.

PSALM 9. C. M.

From the xi. Psalm of David.
HE 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 favour grace,

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

PSALM 10. C. M.

From the xiii. Psalm of David.

Ow 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 plac'd 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 inspir'd,
To thee, my God, ascend;
Who to thy servant in distress

Such bounty didst extend.

PSALM 11. L. M.

From the xiv. Psalm of David.

HE 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 O that from Sion he'd employ

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

Should loudly echo through the land.

PSALM 12. C. M.

From the xv. Psalm of David.

ORD, who's the happy man that may

To thy blest courts repair,
Not, stranger-like, to visit them,
But to inhabit there?

2 'Tis 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 neighbour'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.

PSALM 13. C. M.
From the xvi. Psalm of David.

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2 I strive each action to approve
To his all-seeing eye;

No danger shall my hopes remove,
Because he still is nigh.

3 Therefore my heart all grief defies,
My glory does rejoice;

My flesh shall rest, in hope to rise,
Wak'd by his powerful voice.

4 Thou, Lord, when I resign my breath,
My soul from hell shalt free;
Nor let thy Holy One in death

The least corruption see.

5 Thou shalt the paths of life display,
Which to thy presence lead;
Where pleasures dwell without allay,
And joys that never fade.

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1 THOU Suit'st, O Lord, thy righteous ways
To various paths of human kind;
They who for mercy merit praise,
With thee shall wondrous mercy find.

2 Thou to the just shalt justice show;
The pure thy purity shall see:
Such as perversely choose to go,
Shall meet with due returns from thee.

3 That he the humble soul will save,
And crush the haughty's boasted might,
In me the Lord an instance gave,
Whose darkness he has turn'd to light.

4 Who then deserves to be adored,
But God, on whom my hopes depend?
Or who, except the mighty Lord,
Can with resistless power defend?

5 Let the eternal Lord be praised,

The rock on whose defence I rest! To highest heavens his name be raised, Who me with his salvation bless'd!

6 My God, to celebrate thy fame,

My grateful voice to heaven I'll raise;

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