Former mercies a motive for reliance on God's deliverance and protection.
1 INSULTING foes my soul upbraid
And Him whom I adore;
« The God in whom he trusts," say they,
"Shall rescue him no more."
2 But thou, O Lord, art my defence;
On thee my hopes rely;
Thou art my glory, and shalt yet
Lift up my head on high.
3 Since whensoe'er, in deep distress,
To God I made my prayer,
He heard me from his holy hill,—
Why should I now despair?
4 Guarded by him, I laid me down
My sweet repose to take;
For I through him securely sleep,
Through him securely wake.
5 Salvation to the Lord belongs;
He only can defend;
His blessing he extends to all
That on his power depend.
PSALM 4.
Piety and trust in God.
1 O LORD, our guardian and our guide,
To our request give ear;
Thou art our Saviour in distress,
Have mercy, Lord, and hear.
2 The Lord regards the righteous man
As his peculiar choice;
And when to him we make our prayer,
He listens to our voice.
3 Then stand in awe of his commands,
Learn, and depart from ill;
Commune in private with your hearts,
And bend them to his will.
4 Offer to God the sacrifice
Of righteousness and praise;
And see that in the living God
Ye put your trust always.
God all-sufficient.
5 WHILE worldly minds impatient grow,
More prosp❜rous times to see,
Still let the glories of thy face
Shine brightly, Lord, on me.
6 So shall my heart o'erflow with joy
More lasting and more true,
Than theirs, who stores of corn and wine
Successively renew.
7 Then down in peace I'll lay my head,'
And take my needful rest.
No other guard, O Lord, I crave,
Of thy defence possest.
PSALM 5.
Petition for the acceptance of prayer, with the resolutions and character of the true and acceptable worshipper.
1 LORD, hear the voice of my complaint,"
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 will I look,
To thee devoutly pray.
3 Such as be foolish shall not stand
Before thy face, O Lord;
Vain workers of iniquity
Thou ever hast abhorr'd.
4 The lying lip, and wrongful hand
Thou wilt not, Lord, approve;
But from thy sacred dwelling-place
All evil wilt remove.
5 I COME, O Lord, to tread thy courts,
And trust thy boundless grace;
And in thy fear would worship thee
Towards thy holy place.
6 Conduct me by thy righteous laws,
For watchful is my foe;
Before me, Lord, make plain the way
Wherein I ought to go.
7 Oh let all those that trust in thee
With shouts their joy proclaim;
Let them rejoice in thy defence,
And glory in thy name.
8 To righteous men the mighty Lord
His blessing will extend;
And with his favour all his saints
As with a shield defend.
Supplication for divine mercy; with joy and praise for a favourable answer.
1 SPARE me, O Lord, nor o'er my head,
The fulness of thy vengeance shed:
With pitying eye my weakness view,
Heal my vex'd soul, my strength renew.
2 And O, if yet my sins demand,
The wise correction of Thy hand,
Yet give my pain its bound to know,
And fix a period to my woe.
3 O Lord, my rescue undertake,
And save me, for thy mercy's sake.
For can the dead thy praise proclaim?
Or silent grave adore thy name?
4 Ye wicked, hence-my Saviour hears;
While yet I speak, he wipes my tears-
Accepts my prayer-and bids each foe
With shame his treachery forego.
God's forbearance and righteous judgments.
1 RISE, mighty Lord, in triumph rise
O'er all whose hand thy power defies;
Ascend thy throne, great God, again,
And vindicate thy ways to men.
2 Sin's baneful growth do thou control,
And guard from ill the upright soul;
For thou, just Lord, with searching eye,
The heart and inmost reins canst try.
3 To God, my soul, for help repair,
Who makes the faithful heart his care;
Whom daily wicked men provoke,
Though he suspend the fatal stroke.
4 Yet while we scorn his will to know,
He whets his sword, he bends his bow.-
Praise him who judgeth righteously!
O praise the name of God most high!
PSALM 8.
Jehovah glorified by the infant tongue.---Matt. xxi. 15, 16.
1 O LORD, 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 reckon❜d there;
And yet thou mak'st the infant tongue
Thy glory to declare.
3 Babes sang the Son of David's praise,
Ordain'd thy strength to show:
Thy power the feeblest saint can raise
To still the boasting foe.
4 Jesus, our Lord, exalted high,
How glorious is thy name!
Hosannas through the world shall fly,
Let earth thy praise proclaim.
Jehovah glorified by the humiliation and exaltation of his incarnate Son.---1 Cor. xv. 27.---Heb. ii. 6-9.
5 WHEN I behold thy works on high,
The moon that rules the night,
And stars that spangle in the sky,
Those countless worlds of light.-
6 Lord, what is man, or all his race,
Who dwells so far below,
That thou should'st visit him with grace,
Or love his nature so!
7 That thine eternal Son should bear
To take a mortal form;
Lower awhile than angels are,
To save a sinful worm!
8 But now thy glory crowns his head,
Let all due homage pay!
From clime to clime his power shall spread—
Let earth and heaven obey!
9 O LORD, to whom all creatures bow
Within this earthly frame;
Through all the world how great art THOU!
How glorious is thy name!
PSALM 9.
Praise for redemption.
1 TO celebrate thy praise, O Lord,
I will my heart prepare;
To all the listening world thy works,
Thy wondrous works declare.
The thought of them shall to my soul
Exalted pleasures bring,
Whilst to thy name, O thou Most High,
Triumphant praise I sing.
2 Thou, Lord, for ever dost endure;
Thou hast thy throne prepar'd
Impartial justice to dispense,
To punish or reward.
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