The wisdom and equity of Providence. I WHEN the great Judge fupreme and just,
Shall once enquire for blood,
The humble fouls that mourn in duft
Shall find a faithful God.
2 He from the dreadful gates of death,
Doth his own children raise:
In Zion's gates with cheerful breath
They fing their Father's praise.
3 His foes fhall fall with heedlefs feet
Into the pit they made;
And finners perish in the net
That their own hands had spread.
4 Thus, by thy judgments, mighty God,
Are thy deep counfels known;
When men of mifchief are deftroyed,
The fnare must be their own.
5 The wicked fhall fink down to hell;
Thy wrath devours the lands.
That dare forget thee, or rebel
Against thy known commands.
6 Tho' faints to fore diftrefs are brought,
And wait and long complain,
Their cries fhall not be still forgot,
Nor fhall their hopes be vain.
[Rife, great Redeemer, from thy feat,
To judge and fave the poor;
Let nations tremble at thy feet,
And man prevail no more.
Thy thunder shall affright the proud,
And put their hearts to pain;
Make them confefs that thou art God,
And they but feeble men.]
Prayer beard, and faints faved; or, pride, atbeifm, and ppreffion punished.
For an humiliation day.
I WHY doth the Lord ftand off fo far,
And why conceal his face;
When great calamities appear,
And times of deep diftrefs?
2 Lord, fhall the wicked ftill deride
Thy juftice and thy pow'r?
Shall they advance their heads in pride
And still thy faints devour?
3 They put thy judgments from their fight,
And then infult the poor;
They boast in their exalted height
That they fhall fall no more.
4 Arife, O God, lift up thine hand,
Attend our humble cry:
No enemy shall dare to ftand,
When God afcends on high.
5 Why do the men of malice rage;
And fay with foolish pride,
"The God of heav'n will ne'er engage
"To fight on Zion's fide ?”
6: But thou for ever art our Lord,
And pow'rful is thine hand;
As when the heath us felt thy fword,
And perish'd from thy land.
7. -Thou wilt prepare our hearts to pray,
And cause thine ear to hear;
He hearkens what his children say,
And puts the world in fear.
8 Proud tyrants fhall no more oppress,
No more defpife the jult;
And mighty finners fhall confefs
They are but earth and duft.
God loves the righteous, and hates the wicked.
Y refuge is the God of love; Why do my foes infult and cry,
Fly, like a tim'rous trembling dove; "To diftant woods or mountains fly." 2 If government be all deftroy'd,
(That firm foundation of our peace) And violence makes juftice void,
Where shall the righteous feek redrefs? 3 The Lord in heav'n hath fix'd his throne; His eye furveys the world below z To him all mortal things are known; His eye-lids fearch our spirits thro'.
4 If he afflicts his faints fo far,
To prove their love, and try their grace,
What may the bold tranfgreffors fear;
His very foul abhors their ways.
5 On impious wretches he fhall rain
Tempests of brimstone, fire, and death,
Such as he kindled on the plain
Of Sodom, with his angry breath.
The righteous Lord loves righteous fouls,
Whofe thoughts and actions are fincere;
And with a gracious eye beholds
The men that his own image bear.
The faints' fafety and hope in evil times: cr, fins of the tongue complained of; namely, blafphemy, falfebood, &c.
1 LORD, if thou doft not foon appear,
Virtue and truth will flee away;
A faithful man amongst us here
Will scarce be found if thou delay.
2 The whole difcourfe, when neighbours meet,
Is fill'd with trifles loofe and vain;
Their lips are flatt'ry and deceit,
And their proud language is profane.
3 But lips that with deceit abound,
Shall not maintain their triumph long;
The God of veng'ance will confound
The flatt'ring and blafpheming tongue.
4 "Yet fhall our words be free (they cry),
"Our tongue fhall be controul'd by none;
"Where is the Lord will ask us why?
"Or fay our lips are not our own ?"
5 The Lord, who fees the poor oppreft,
And hears th' oppreffor's haughty strain,
Will rife to give his children reft,
Nor fhall they truft his word in vain.
6 Thy word, O Lord, tho' often try'd,
Void of deceit shall still appear:
Not filver feven times purify'd
From drofs and mixture, fhines fo clear.
7 Thy grace fhall in the darkest hour
Defend the holy foul from harm:
Tho', when the vileft men have pow'r,
On ev'ry fide will finners fwarm.
Complaint of a general corruption of manners: or,
the promife of Chrift's coming to judgment.
I HELP, Lord, for men of virtue fail,
Religion lofes ground;
The fons of violence prevail,
And treacheries abound.
22 Their oaths and promises they break,
Yet at the flatt'rer's part:
With fair deceitful lips they speak,
And with a double heart.
3 If we reprove fome hateful lie,
How is their fury stirr'd:
"Are not our lips our own? (they cry)
"And who fhall be our Lord?"
4 Scoffers appear on ev'ry fide,
Where a vile race of men
Is rais'd to feats of pow'r and pride
And bear the fword in vain.
5 Lord, when iniquities abound,
And blafphemy grows bold;
When faith is hardly to be found,
And love is waxing cold:
6 Is not thy chariot haft'ning on?
Haft thou not giv'n the fign?
May we not trust and live upon
A promise fo divine?
Yes (faith the Lord), now will I rife,
"And make oppreffors flee;
"I fhall appear to their furprise,
"And fet my fervants free.”
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