With timely fruit does bend,

He still shall flourish, and success
All his designs attend.

4 Ungodly men and their attempts
No lasting root shall find;
Untimely blasted, and dispers'd
Like chaff before the wind.

5 Their guilt shall strike the wicked dumb
Before their Judge's face;
No formal hypocrite shall then
Amongst the saints have place.

6 For God approves the just man's ways, To happiness they tend;

But sinners, and the paths they tread, Shall both in ruin end.

PSALM II.

ITH restless and ungovern'd rage

W Why do the heathen storm?

Why in such rash attempts engage,
As they can ne'er perform?

2 The great in counsel and in might
Their various forces bring;
Against the Lord they all unite,
And his anointed King.

3 Must we submit to their commands? Presumptuously they say:

No, let us break their slavish bands,
And cast their chains away.

4 But God, who sits enthron'd on high,
And sees how they combine,
Does their conspiring strength defy,
And mocks their vain design.

5 Thick clouds of wrath divine shall break On his rebellious foes;

And thus will he in thunder speak
To all that dare oppose:

6 Though madly you dispute my will,
The King that I ordain,

Whose throne is fix'd on Sion's hill,
Shall there securely reign.

7 Attend, O earth, whilst I declare
God's uncontroll'd decree;
Thou art my Son, this day my
Have I begotten thee.

heir

8 Ask and receive thy full demands;
Thine shall the heathen be:
The utmost limits of the lands
Shall be possess'd by thee.

9 Thy threat'ning sceptre thou shalt shake,
And crush them every where;
As massy bars of iron break
The potter's brittle ware.

10 Learn then, ye princes; and give ear, Ye judges of the earth;

11 Worship the Lord with holy fear; Rejoice with awful mirth.

12 Appease the Son with due respect,
Your timely homage pay;

Lest he revenge the bold neglect,
Incens'd by your delay.

13

If but in part his anger rise,

Who can endure the flame?

Then blest are they whose hope relies On his most holy Name.

Thou art my glory, and shalt yet Lift up my head on high. 4 Since whensoe'er in like distress To God I made my pray'r, He heard me from his holy hill, Why should I now despair?

5 Guarded by him, I laid me down My sweet repose to take; For I through him securely sleep, Through him in safety wake. 6 No force nor fury of my foes

My courage shall confound, Were they as many hosts as men That have beset me round.

7 Arise and save me, O my God,

Who oft hast own'd my cause,
And scatter'd oft these foes to me,
And to thy righteous laws.

8 Salvation to the Lord belongs,
He only can defend;
His blessing he extends to all
That on his pow'r depend.

PSALM IV.

LORD, that art my righteous

To my complaint give ear: Thou still redeem'st me from distress; Have mercy, Lord, and hear.

2 How long will ye, O sons of men,
To blot my fame devise?

How long your vain designs pursue,
And spread malicious lies?

3 Consider that the righteous man
Is God's peculiar choice;

And when to him I make my pray'r,
He always hears my voice.

4 Then stand in awe of his commands,
Flee ev'ry thing that's ill;
Commune in private with your hearts,
And bend them to his will.

5 The place of other sacrifice

Let righteousness supply;
And let your hope, securely fix'd,
On God alone rely.

6 While worldly minds impatient grow
More prosp'rous times to see,
Still let the glories of thy face
Shine brightly, Lord, on me.

7 So shall my heart o'erflow with joy,
More lasting and more true,

Than theirs, who stores of corn and wine Successively renew.

8 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.

1

PSALM V.

LORD, hear the voice of my comAccept my secret pray'r; [plaint, 2 To thee alone, my King, my God, Will I for help repair.

3 Thou in the morn my voice shalt hear; And with the dawning day

To thee devoutly I'll look up,
To thee devoutly pray.

4 For thou the wrongs that I sustain
Canst never, Lord, approve;

Who from thy sacred dwelling-place
All evil dost remove.

5 Not long shall stubborn fools remain
Unpunish'd in thy view;

All such as act unrighteous things
Thy vengeance shall pursue.

6 The sland'ring tongue, O God of truth, By thee shall be destroy'd,

Who hat'st alike the man in blood
And in deceit employ'd.

7 But when thy boundless grace shall me To thy lov'd courts restore,

On thee I'll fix my longing eyes,
And humbly there adore.

8 Conduct me by thy righteous laws,
For watchful is my foe;

Therefore, O Lord, make plain the way
Wherein I ought to go.

9 Their mouth vents nothing but deceit,
Their heart is set on wrong;
Their throat is a devouring grave,
They flatter with their tongue.

10 By their own counsels let them fall,
Oppress'd with loads of sin;

For they against thy righteous laws
Have harden'd rebels been.

11 But let all those who trust in thee
With shouts their joy proclaim;
Let them rejoice whom thou preserv'st,
And all that love thy Name.

12 To righteous men the righteous Lord
His blessing will extend,

And with his favour all his saints,
As with a shield, defend.

PSALM VI.

HY dreadful anger, Lord, restrain, And spare a wretch forlorn; Correct me not in thy fierce wrath, Too heavy to be borne.

2 Have mercy, Lord, for I grow faint,
Unable to endure

The anguish of my aching bones,
Which thou alone canst cure.

3 My tortur'd flesh distracts my mind,
And fills my soul with grief;
But, Lord, how long wilt thou delay
To grant me thy relief?

my

soul

2 The thought of them shall to
Exalted pleasure bring;
Whilst to thy Name, O thou most High,
Triumphant praise I sing.

3 Thou mad'st my haughty foes to turn
Their backs in shameful flight;
Struck with thy presence, down they fell,
They perish'd at thy sight.

4 Against insulting foes, advanc'd,
Thou didst my cause maintain;
My right asserting from thy throne,
Where truth and justice reign.
5 The insolence of heathen pride

Thou hast reduc'd to shame;
Their wicked offspring quite destroy'd,
And blotted out their name.

6 Mistaken foes! your haughty threats Are to a period come;

Our city stands, which you design'd
To make our common tomb.

7,8 The Lord for ever lives, who has
His righteous throne prepar'd,
Impartial justice to dispense;
To punish or reward.

9 God is a constant sure defence
Against oppressing rage;

As troubles rise, his needful aids
In our behalf

engage.

10 All those who have his goodness prov'd Will in his truth confide;

Whose mercy ne'er forsook the man
That on his help relied.

11 Sing praises, therefore, to the Lord,
From Sion, his abode;

Proclaim his deeds, till all the world
Confess no other God.

The Second Part.

12 When he enquiry makes for blood,
He calls the poor to mind;
The injur'd humble man's complaint
Relief from him shall find.
13 Take pity on my troubles, Lord,
Which spiteful foes create,
Thou, that hast rescu'd me so oft
From death's devouring gate.
14 In Sion then I'll sing thy praise,
To all that love thy Name;
And with loud shouts of grateful joy
Thy saving pow'r proclaim.
15 Deep in the pit they digg'd for me
The heathen pride is laid;
Their guilty feet to their own snare
Are heedlessly betray'd.

1TH Lord?

Why hid'st thou now thy face,
When dismal times of deep distress
Call for thy wonted grace?

2 The wicked, swell'd with lawless pride,
Have made the poor their prey;
O let them fall by those designs
Which they for others lay!

3 For straight they triumph, if success
Their thriving crimes attend;

And sordid wretches, whom God hates,
Perversely they commend.

4 To own a pow'r above themselves
Their haughty pride disdains;
And therefore in their stubborn mind
No thought of God remains.

5 Oppressive methods they pursue,
And all their foes they slight;
Because thy judgments, unobserv'd,
Are far above their sight.

6 They fondly think their prosp'rous state Shall unmolested be;

They think their vain designs shall
From all misfortune free. [thrive,

7 Vain and deceitful is their speech,
With curses fill'd and lies;
By which the mischief of their heart
They study to disguise.

8 Near publick roads they lie conceal'd, And all their art employ,

The innocent and poor at once
To rifle and destroy.

9 Not lions, couching in their dens,
Surprise their heedless prey
With greater cunning, or express
More savage rage than they.

11 For God, they think, no notice takes
Of their unrighteous deeds;
He never minds the suffering poor,
Nor their oppression heeds.
12 But thou, O Lord, at length arise;
Stretch forth thy mighty arm;
And, by the greatness of thy pow'r,
Defend the poor from harm.
13 No longer let the wicked vaunt,
And proudly boasting say,
Tush, God regards not what we do;
He never will repay.

14 But sure thou seest, and all their deeds Impartially dost try;

The orphan, therefore, and the poor
On thee for aid rely.

15 Defenceless let the wicked fall,
Of all their strength bereft;
Confound, O God, their dark designs,
Till no remains are left.

16 Assert thy just dominion, Lord,
Which shall for ever stand;
Thou, who the heathen didst expel
From this thy chosen land.

17 Thou dost the humble suppliants hear That to thy throne repair;

Thou first prepar'st their hearts to pray,
And then accept'st their pray'r.

18 Thou in thy righteous judgment weigh'st
The fatherless and poor;
That so the tyrants of the earth
May persecute no more.

1

PSALM XI.

INCE I have plac'd my trust in
SA refuge always nigh, [God,
Why should I, like a tim'rous bird,
To distant mountains fly?

2 Behold, the wicked bend their bow,
And ready fix their dart;
Lurking in ambush to destroy
The man of upright heart.

3 When once the firm assurance fails
Which publick faith imparts,
'Tis time for innocence to fly
From such deceitful arts.

4 The Lord hath both a temple here,

And righteous throne above; Whence he surveys the sons of men, And how their counsels move.

5 If God the righteous, whom he loves, For trial does correct;

What must the sons of violence,

Whom he abhors, expect?

6 Snares, fire, and brimstone on their heads
Shall in one tempest show'r;
This dreadful mixture his revenge
Into their cup shall pour.

7 The righteous Lord will righteous deeds With signal favour grace;

1

And to the upright man disclose
The brightness of his face.

PSALM XII.

INCE godly men decay, O Lord,
Do thou my cause defend;

For scarce these wretched times afford
One just and faithful friend.

2 One neighbour now can scarce believe
What t'other doth impart :

With flatt'ring lips they all deceive,
And with a double heart.

3 But lips that with deceit abound
Can never prosper long;

God's righteous vengeance will confound
The proud blaspheming tongue.

4 In vain those foolish boasters say,
Our tongues are sure our own;
With doubtful words we will betray,
And be controll'd by none.

5 For God, who hears the suff'ring poor,
And their oppression knows,
Will soon arise and give them rest,
In spite of all their foes.

6 The word of God shall still abide,
And void of falsehood be,

As is the silver, seven times tried,
From drossy mixture free.

7 The promise of his aiding grace
Shall reach the purpos'd end;
His servants from this faithless race
He ever shall defend.

8 Then shall the wicked be perplex'd,

Nor know which way to fly; [vex'd, When those, whom they despis'd and Shall be advanc'd on high.

PSALM XIII.

How long wilt thou forget me, Lord?

Must I for ever mourn?

How long wilt thou withdraw from me, Oh! never to return?

2 How long shall anxious thoughts my And grief my heart oppress? [soul, How long my enemies insult,

And I have no redress?

3 O hear, and to my longing eyes
Restore thy wonted light;
And suddenly, or I shall sleep
In everlasting night.