The Lord our Saviour ever lives,
His name be ever bleft;
His powerful arm the victory gives,
And gives his people reft.
Pfalm XIX. First Part. C. M. [*]
The Voice of Nature proclaiming God.
HE heavens declare thy glory, Lord,
Which that alone can fill
The firmament and stars exprefs
Their great Creator's fkill.
2 The dawn of each returning day
Fresh beams of knowledge brings;
And, from the dark returns of night,
Divine inftruction fprings.
3 Their powerful language to no realm
Or region is confin'd;
'Tis nature's voice, and understood
Alike by all mankind.
4 Their doctrine does its facred fenfe
Through earth's extent display,
Whofe bright contents the circling fun
Does round the world convey.
No bridegroom, on his nuptial day,
Has fuch a cheerful face;
No giant does like him rejoice
Ta run his glorious race.
6 From east to west, from west to eaft,
His reftlefs course he goes;
And, through his progrefs, cheerful light
And vital warmth beftows.
Pfalm XIX. Sec. Part. C. M. [ or b]
The Excellency of Scripture.
OD's perfect law converts the foul,
Reclaims from falfe defires;
With facred wisdom his fure word
The ignorant infpires.
The ftatutes of the Lord are just
And bring fincere delight;
His pure commands in fearch of truth.
Affift the feeblest fight.
3 His perfect worship here is fix'd
On fure foundations laid;
His equal laws are in the fcales
Of truth and juftice weigh'd.
4 Of more esteem than golden mines,
Or gold
refin'd with skill;
More fweet than honey, or the drops
Which from the comb diftil.
5 My trusty counsellors they are,
And friendly warning give;
Divine rewards attend on those
Who by thy precepts live.
6 But what frail man observes how oft
He does from virtue fall?
O cleanse me from my fecret faults,
Thou God, who know'it them all.
Pfalm XIX. Long Metre.
Nature and Scripture compared.
HE heavens declare thy glory, Lord,
In every ftar thy wifdom fhines;
But when our eyes behold thy word,
We read thy name in fairer lines.
2 The rolling fun, the changing light,
And nights and days thy power confefs;
But the bleft volume thou haft writ
Reveals thy juftice and thy grace.
3 Sun, moon and ftars convey thy praife
Thro' the whole earth, and never ftand;
So when thy truth began its race,
It touch'd and glanc'd on every land.
4 Nor fhall thy fpreading gofpel reft,
Till thro' the world thy truth has run;
Till Chrift hath all the nations bleft
That fee the light or feel the fun.
5 Great Sun of righteoufnefs, arife;
Blefs the dark world with heavenly light,
Thy gofpel makes the fimple wife,
Thy laws are pure, thy judgments right.
6 Thy nobleft wonders here we view,
In fouls renew'd and fins forgiven;
Lord, cleanfe my fins, my foul renew,
And make thy word my guide to heaven.
REAT God, the heaven's well order'd frame
Declares the glory of thy name;
Here thy rich works of wonder fhine;
A thousand starry beauties there,
A thoufand radiant marks appear
Of boundless power and skill divine.
2 From night to day, from day to night,
The dawning and the dying light
Lectures of heavenly wisdom read;
With filent eloquence, they raise
Our thoughts to our Creator's praise,
And neither found nor language need.
Yet their divine inftructions run
Far as the circuit of the fun,
And every nation knows their voice;
Where'er he fpreads his beams abroad,
He publishes his maker, God,
Rolls round, and makes the earth rejoice,
4 But when we read thy written word;
What light and joy thofe leaves afford!
Thefe are our ftudy and delight:
Not honey fo invites the tafte,
Nor gold that hath the furnace past,
Appears so pleasing to the fight.
5 From the difcov'ries of thy law,
The perfect rules of life we draw ;
But 'tis thy bleffed gofpel, Lord,
Which makes our guilty confcience clean,
Converts our foul, fubdues our fin,
And gives a free but large reward.
Who knows the errors of his thoughts!
Forgive, O Lord, our fecret faults,
And from prefumptuous fins reftrain
Accept the tribute of our praise,
That we have read thy book of grace,
And book of nature, not in vain.
For the Lord's Day Morning.
EHOLD the morning fun
Begins his glorious way,
His beams thro' all the nations run
And life and light convey.
But where the gospel comes,
It fpreads diviner light
It calls dead finners from their tombs,
And gives the blind their figlit
3 How perfect is thy word!
And all thy judgments juft!
Forever fure thy promife, Lord,
And we fecurely truft.
4 My gracious God, how plain
Are thy directions given!
O may I never read in vain,
But find the path to heaven.
I hear thy word with love,
O help me to obey;
Send thy good Spirit from above,
To guide me, left 1 ftray.
6 Whilft with my heart and tongue
I fpread my praise abroad;
Accept the worship and the fong,
My Saviour and my God.
Long Metre.
For a Day of Prayer in War.
OW may the God of
N Attend his people's humble cry;
Jehovah hears when Ifrael prays,
And fends deliverance from on high.
2 The name of Jacob's God defends
Better than fhields or brazen walls;
He from his fanctuary fends
Succour and ftrength when Zion calls.
3 Well he remembers all our fighs,
His love exceeds our best deserts;
His love accepts the facrifice
Of humble groans and broken hearts.
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