7 The wonders of thy truth and love

In my defence engage;
Thon, whose right hand preserves thy saints
From their oppressors' rage.

The Second Part.
8, 9 0! keep me in thy tend'rest care;

Thy shelt'ring wings stretch out,
To guard me safe from savage foes,

That compass me about.
10 O'ergrown with luxury, inclos'd

To their own fat they lie;
And with a proud blaspheming mouth

Both God and man defy.
11 Well may they boast, for they have now

My paths encompass'd round;
Their eyes at watch, their bodies bow'd,

And couching on the ground, 12 In posture of a lion set,

When greedy of his prey;
Or a young lion, when he lurks

Within a covert way.
13 Arise, O Lord, defeat their plots,

Their swelling rage control;
From wicked men, who are thy sword,

Deliver thou my soul.
14 From worldly men, thy sharpest scourge,

Whose portion's here below;
Who, fill'd with earthly stores, desire

No other bliss to know.
15 Their race is num'rous that partake

Their substance while they live:
Their heirs survive, to whoni they may

The vast remainder give. 16 But 1, in uprightness, thy face

Shall view without control; And, waking, shall its image lind Reflected in my soul.

PSALM XVIII. i Nchange of times shall ever shock

My firm affection, Lord, to thee; For thou hast always been my rock,

A fortress and defence to me. 2 Thou my deliv'rer art, my God,

My trust is in thy mighty pow'r: Thou art my shield from foes abroad,

At home my safeguard and my tow'r, 3 To thee I will address my pray'r,

(To whom all praise we justly owe ;) So shall I, by thy watchful care, Be guarded from my treach'rons foe.

# B

4, 5 By foods of wicked men distress'd,

With deadly sorrows compass'd round; With dire infernal pangs oppressid,

In death's unwieldy fetters bound.
6 To heav'n I made my mournful pray'r,

To God address'd my humble moan;
Who graciously inclin'd his ear,
And heard me from his lofty throne.

The Second Part.
7 When God arose to take my part,

The conscious earth did quake for fear;
From their firm posts the hills did start,

Nor couid his dreadful fury bear.
$ Thick clouds of smoke dispers'd abroad,

Ensigns of wrath before him came;
Devouring fire around him glow'd,

That coals were kindled at its flame. 9 He left the beauteous realms of light,

Whilst heav'n bow'd down its awful head,
Beneath his feet substantial night
Was like a sable

carpet spread. 10 The chariot of the King of kings,

Which active troops of angels drew,
On a strong tempest's rapid wings,

With most amazing swiftness flew.
11, 12 Black watry mists and clouds conspird

With thickest shades his face to veil;
But at his brightness soon retir'd,

And fell in show'rs of fire and hail. 13 Through heav'n's wide arch a thund'ring peal

God's angry voice did loudly roar,
While earth's sad face with heaps of hail,

And flakes of fire, was cover'd o'er. 14 His sharpen'd arrows round he threw,

Which made his scatter'd foes retreat;
Like darts his nimble lightnings flew,

And quickly finish'd their defeat. 15 The deep its secret stores disclos'd,

The world's foundations naked lay;
By his avenging wrath expos'd,
Which fiercely rag'd that dreadful day,

The Third Part.
16 The Lord did on my side engage,

From leav'o, his throne, my cause upheld; And snatch'd me from the furious rage

Of threatning waves that proudly swell'il. 17 God his resistless pow'r employ'd,

My strongest foes' attempts to break;
Who else with ease had soon destroy'd

The weak defence that I could make.

18 Their subtil rage had near prevail'd,

When I distrest and friendless lay;
But still, when other succours fail'd,

God was my firm support and stay. 19 From dangers that inclos'd me round,

He brought me forth and set me free; For some just cause his goodness found,

That mov'd him to delight in me. 20 Because in me no guilt remains,

God does his gracious help extend;
My hands are free from bloody stains,

Therefore the Lord is still my friend. 21, 22 For I his judgments kept in sight,

In his just paths I always trod;
I never did his statutes slight,

Nor loosely wander'd from my God. 23, 24 But still my soul, sincere and pure,

Did e'en from darling sins refrain;
His favours, therefore, yet endure,
Because my heart and hands are clean.

The Fourth Part. 25, 26 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.
Thou to the just shalt justice show,

The pure thy purity shall see
Such as perversely choose to go,

Shall meet withi due returns from thee. 27, 28 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's to light. 29 On his firm succour I relied,

And did o'er num'rous foes prevail;
Nor fear'd, whilst he was on my side,

The best defended walls to scale. 30 For God's designs shall still succeed;

His word will bear the utmost test:
He's a strong shield to all that need,

And on his sure protection rest. 31 Who then deserves to be ador'd,

But God, on whom my hopes depend?.
Or who, except the mighty Lord,
Can with resistless pow'r defend?

The Fifth Part.
32, 33 'Tis God that girds my armour on,

And all my just designs fulfils;
Through him my feet can swiftly run,
And nimbly climb the steepest hilis.

34 Lessons of war from him I take,

And manly weapons learn to wield
Strong bows of steel with ease to break,

Forc'd by my stronger arms to yield. 35 The buckler of his saving health

Protects me from assaulting foes;
His hand sustains me still, my wealth

And greatness from his bounty flows. 36 My goings he enlarg'd abroad,

Till then to narrow paths confin'd ;
And, when in slipp?ry ways ! trod,

The method of my steps design'd. 37 Through him I num'rous hosts defeat,

And Aying squadrons captive take;
Nor from my fierce pursuit retreat,

Till I a final conquest make.
38 Cover'd with wounds, in vain they try

Their vanquish'd heads again to rear;
Spite of their boasted strength they lie

Beneath my feet, and grovel there. 39 God, when fresh armies take the field,

Recruits my strength, my courage warms; He makes my strong opposers yield,

Subdu'd by my prevailing arms.
40 Through him the necks of prostrate foes

My conquering feet in triumph press;
Aided by him, I root out those

Who hate and envy my success. 41 With loud complaints all friends they tried,

But none was able to defend ;
At length to God for help they cried,

But God would no assistance lend. 42 Like flying dust which winds pursue,

Their broken troops I scatter'd round,
Their slaughter'd bodies forth I threw,

Like loathsome dirt that clogs the ground.

The Sixth Part.
43 Our factious tribes, at strife till now,

By God's appointment me obey ;
The heathen to my sceptre bow,

And foreign nations own my sway. 44 Remotest realms their homage send,

When my successful name they hear;
Strangers for my commands attend,

Charm'd with respect, or aw'd by fear, 45 All to my summons tamely yield,

Or soon in battle are dismay'd ;.
For stronger holds they quit the field,

And still in strongest holds afraid.

16 Let the eternal Lord be prais'd,

The rock on whose defence I rest; O'er highest heav'ns his name be rais'd,

Who me with his salvation blest. 47 'Tis God that still supports my right,

His just revenge my foes pursues; 'Tis he that with resistless might

Fierce nations to my yoke subdues. 48 My universal safeguard he!

From whom my lasting honours flow; He made me great, and set me free

From my remorseless bloody foe. 49 Therefore to celebrate his fame

My grateful voice to heav'n I'll raise ; And nations, strangers to his Name,

Shall thus be taught to sing his praise. 50 “ God to his king deliv'rance sends,

« Shews his anointed signal grače;
“His mercy evermore extends
“To David and his promis'd race."

PSALM XIX,
I THE heav'ns declare thy glory, Lord,

Which that alone can fill;
The firmament and stars express

Their great Creator's skill. 2 The

dawn of each returning day,

Fresh beams of knowledge brings; From darkest night's successive rounds

Divine instruction springs.
3 Their pow'rful language to no realm

Or region is confin'd;
'Tis nature's voice, and understood

Alike by all mankind.
4 Their doctrine does its sacred sense

Through earth's extent display ; Whose bright contents the circling siin

Does round the world convey.
5 No bridegroom, for his nuptials drest,

Has such a cheerful face;
No giant does like him rejoice

To run his glorious race.
6 From east to west, from west to east,

His restless course he goes;
And through his progress cheerfallight
And vital warmth bestows.

The Second Part.
7 God's perfect law converts the soul,

Reclaims from false desires; With sacred wisdom his sure word

The ignorant inspires.