Page images
PDF
EPUB

thou sendest rain into the little vallies thereof; thou makest it soft with the drops of rain, and blessest the increase of it. Thou crownest the year with thy goodness, and thy clouds drop fatness.

They shall drop upon the dwellings of the wilderness, and the little hills shall rejoice on every side.

The folds shall be full of sheep; the vallies also shall stand so thick with corn, that they shall laugh and sing.

SELECTION VIII. From Psalm lxxxiv. Quam dilecta.

[ocr errors]

How amiable are thy dwellings, thou Lord of hosts! My soul hath a desire and longing to enter into the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God.

Yea, the sparrow hath found her an house, and the swallow a nest, where she may lay her young; even thy altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house; they will be alway praising thee.

Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are thy ways.

Who going through the vale of misery, use it for a well; and the pools are filled with water.

They will go from strength to strength, and unto the God of gods appeareth every one of them in Sion.

O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; hearken, O God of Jacob.

For one day in thy courts is better than a thousand.

I had rather be a door-keeper

[blocks in formation]

LORD, thou art become gracious unto thy land; thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob.

Thou hast forgiven the offence of thy people, and covered all their sins.

Thou hast taken away all thy displeasure, and turned thyself from thy wrathful indignation.

Turn us then, O God our Saviour, and let thine anger cease from us.

Wilt thou be displeased at us for ever? and wilt thou stretch out thy wrath from one generation to another?

Wilt thou not turn again, and quicken us, that thy people may rejoice in thee?

Show us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation.

I will hearken what the Lord God will say concerning me; for he shall speak peace unto his people, and to his saints, that they turn not again.

For his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.

Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

Truth shall flourish out of the earth, and righteousness hath looked down from heaven.

[blocks in formation]

The waves of the sea are

mighty, and rage horribly; but yet the Lord, who dwelleth on high, is mightier.

Thy testimonies, O Lord, are very sure: holiness becometh thine house for ever.

Psalm xcvii. Dominus regnavit.

HE Lord is King, the earth

The heavens have declared his righteousness; and all the people have seen his glory.

Confounded be all they that worship carved images, and that delight in vain gods: worship him, all ye gods.

Sion heard of it, and rejoiced; and the daughters of Juda were glad, because of thy judgments, O Lord.

than all that are in the earth: For thou, Lord, art higher thou art exalted far above all gods.

O ye that love the Lord, see that ye hate the thing which is evil: the Lord preserveth the liver them from the hand of the souls of his saints; he shall deungodly.

There is sprung up a light for the righteous, and joyful gladness for such as are true-hearted.

teous, and give thanks for a reRejoice in the Lord, ye righ

membrance of his holiness.

SELECTION IX.

Psalm viii. Domine, Dominus

noster.

may be glad thereof: yea, O Lord, our Governor, how

the multitude of the isles may be glad thereof.

Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his seat.

There shall go a fire before him, and burn up his enemies on every side.

His lightnings gave shine unto the world; the earth saw it, and was afraid.

The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.

excellent is thy name in all the world; thou that hast set thy glory above the heaven!

Out of the mouth of very babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength, because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

[ocr errors]

For I will consider thy heavens, even the works of thy fingers; the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained.

What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

Thou madest him lower than From Psalm cxlvii. Laudate the angels, to crown him with glory and worship.

Thou makest him to have dominion of the works of thy hands; and thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet:

All sheep and oxen; yea, and the beasts of the field;

The fowls of the air, and the fishes of the sea; and whatsoever walketh through the paths of the seas.

O Lord, our Governor, how excellent is thy name in all the world!

From Psalm xxxiii. Exultate, justi.

REJOICE in the Lord, O

ye righteous; for it becometh well the just to be thankful. Praise the Lord with harp; sing praises unto him with the lute, and instrument of ten strings.

Sing unto the Lord a new song; sing praises unto him with a good courage.

For the word of the Lord is true, and all his works are faithful.

He loveth righteousness and judgment; the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the hosts of them by the breath of his mouth.

He gathereth the waters of the sea together, as it were upon an heap; and layeth up the deep, as in a treasure-house.

Let all the earth fear the Lord; stand in awe of him, all ye that dwell in the world:

For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.

[ocr errors]

Dominum.

Praise the Lord, for it is a good thing to sing praises unto our God; yea, a joyful and pleasant thing it is to be thankful.

The Lord doth build up Jerusalem, and gather together the outcasts of Israel.

He healeth those who are broken in heart, and giveth medicine to heal their sickness.

He telleth the number of the stars, and calleth them all by their names.

is his power; yea, and his wisGreat is our Lord, and great

dom is infinite.

The Lord setteth up the meek, and bringeth the ungodly down to the ground.

O sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praises upon the harp unto our God;

Who covereth the heaven with clouds, and prepareth rain for the earth; and maketh the grass to grow upon the mountains, and the herb for the use of men;

Who giveth fodder unto the cattle, and feedeth the young ravens that call upon him.

The Lord's delight is in those who fear him, and put their trust in his mercy.

Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, Ó Sion.

For he hath made fast the bars of thy gates, and hath blessed thy children within thee.

He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the flour of wheat.

He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth, and his word runneth very swiftly.

He giveth snow like wool,

and scattereth the hoar-frost like ashes.

He casteth forth his ice like morsels; who is able to abide his frost?

He sendeth out his word, and melteth them; he bloweth with his wind, and the waters flow.

He showeth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and ordinances unto Israel.

He hath not dealt so with any nation; neither have the heathen knowledge of his laws.

From Psalm lvii. Miserere mei, Deus.

SET up thyself, O God, above the heavens; and thy glory

above all the earth.

My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise.

Awake up, my glory; awake, lute and harp: I myself will awake right early.

I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the people; and I will sing unto thee among the nations.

For the greatness of thy mercy reacheth unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.

Set up thyself, O God, above the heavens; and thy glory

above all the earth.

SELECTION X. From Psalm xcvi. Cantate Do

mino.

Sing unto the Lord a new song; sing unto the Lord,

all the whole earth.

Sing unto the Lord, and praise his name; be telling of his salvation from day to day.

Declare his honour unto the

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

broken.

Praise the Lord upon earth, ye dragons, and all deeps;

Fire and hail, snow and vapours, wind and storm, fulfilling his word.

Mountains and all hills; fruitful trees and all cedars;

Beasts and all cattle; worms

and feathered fowls;

Kings of the earth and all people; princes and all judges of the world;

Young men and maidens, old men and children, praise the name of the Lord; for his name only is excellent, and his praise above heaven and earth.

He shall exalt the horn of his people all his saints shall praise him; even the children of Israel, even the people that serveth him..

From Psalm cxlix.

[ocr errors]

Cantate

Domino. Sing unto the Lord a new song; let the congregation of saints praise him.

Let Israel rejoice in him that made him; and let the children of Sion be joyful in their King. Let them praise his name in the dance; let them sing praises unto him with tabret and harp. For the Lord hath pleasure in his people, and helpeth the meek-hearted.

Psalm cl. Laudate Dominum. Praise God in his holiness;

ment of his power.

Praise him in his noble acts; praise him according to his excellent greatness.

Praise him in the sound of the trumpet; praise him upon the lute and harp.

Praise him in the cymbals and dances; praise him upon the strings and pipe.

Praise him upon the welltuned cymbals; praise him upon the loud cymbals.

Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord.

[blocks in formation]

CHRISTMAS-DAY. From Psalms xlv. lxxxix. cx. THY seat, O God, endureth

for ever; the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; where

My song shall be alway of the loving-kindness of the Lord; with my mouth will I ever be showing thy truth, from one generation to another.

For I have said, mercy shall be set up for ever; thy truth shalt thou establish in the heavens.

The Lord is our defence; the holy One of Israel is our King.

Thou spakest some time in visions unto thy saints, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty, I have exalted one chosen out of the peo

I will set his dominion in the sea, and his right hand in the floods.

And I will make him my first born, higher than the kings of the earth.

The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy foot-stool.

The Lord shall send the rod of thy power out of Sion; be thou ruler, even in the midst among thine enemies.

In the day of thy power shall the people offer thee free will offerings with an holy worship: the dew of thy birth is of the womb of the morning.

The Lord sware, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedech.

ASH WEDNESDAY. From Psalms xxxii. xxxviii.

CXXX.

fore God, even thy God, hath BLESSED is he whose un

anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

righteousness is forgiven, and whose sin is covered.

« PreviousContinue »