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2 I love the Lord; he bowed his ear,
And chased my griefs away;
O let my heart no more despair,
While I have breath to pray!
3 My flesh declined, my spirits fell,
And I drew near the dead,

While inward pangs, and fears of hell,
Perplexed my wakeful head.

4 My God, I cried, thy servant save,
Thou ever good and just;

Thy power can rescue from the grave,
Thy power is all my trust.'

5 The Lord beheld me sore distrest,
He bid my pains remove:
Return, my soul, to God thy rest,

For thou hast known his love.

6 My God hath saved my soul from death,
And dried my falling tears;

Now to his praise I'll spend my breath,
And my remaining years.

PSALM 116. 12, &c. PART II. C. M.

Vows made in trouble paid in the church; or, Public thanks for private deliverance.

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WHAT shall I render to my God

For all his kindness shown?

My feet shall visit thine abode,
My songs address thy throne.

2 Among the saints that fill thine house,
My offerings shall be paid;

There shall my zeal perform the vows My soul in anguish made.

3 How much is mercy thy delight,
Thou ever blessed God!

How dear thy servants in thy sight!
How precious is their blood!

4 How happy all thy servants are!
How great thy grace to me!

My life, which thou hast made thy care, Lord, I devote to thee.

5 Now I am thine, for ever thine,

Nor shall my purpose move;

Thy hand hath loosed my bonds of pain, And bound me with thy love.

6 Here in thy courts I leave my vow, And thy rich grace record;

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Witness, ye saints, who hear me now, If I forsake the Lord.

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PSALM 117. C. M.

Praise to God from all nations. ALL

ye nations, praise the Lord, Each with a different tongue; In every language learn his word, And let his name be sung.

2 His mercy reigns through every land; Proclaim his grace abroad;

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For ever firm his truth shall stand, Praise ye the faithful God.

FROM

PSALM 117. L. M.

ROM all that dwell below the skies
Let the Creator's praise arise;

Let the Redeemer's name be sung
Through every land, by every tongue.

2 Eternal are thy mercies, Lord; Eternal truth attends thy word.

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Thy praise shall sound from shore to shore, Till suns shall rise and set no more.

PSALM 117. S. M.

HY name, Almighty Lord, shall sound through distant lands: Great is thy grace, and sure thy word, Thy truth for ever stands.

2 Far be thine honour spread,
And long thy praise endure,

Till morning light and evening shade
Shall be exchanged no more.

PSALM 118. 6-15. PART I. C. M.

Deliverance from a tumult.
THE Lord appears my helper now,
Nor is my faith afraid

What all the sons of earth can do,

Since heaven affords its aid.

2 'Tis safer, Lord, to hope in thee,
And have my God my friend,
Than trust in men of high degree,
And on their truth depend.

3 Like bees my foes beset me round,
A large and angry swarm;
But I shall all their rage confound
By thine almighty arin.

4 'Tis through the Lord my heart is strong, In him my lips rejoice;

While his salvation is my song,
How cheerful is my voice!

5 Like angry bees they girt me round;
When God appears they fly:

So burning thorns, with crackling sound,
Make a fierce blaze and die.

6 Joy to the saints and peace belongs;
The Lord protects their days:
Let Israel tune immortal songs
To his almighty grace.

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PSALM 118. 17-21. PART II. C. M. Public praise for deliverance from death. LORD, thou hast heard thy servant cry,

And rescued from the grave;

Now shall he live: (and none can die
If God resolve to save.)

2 Thy praise, more constant than before,
Shall fill his daily breath;

Thy hand, that hath chastised him sore,
Defends him still from death.

3 Open the gates of Zion now,
For we shall worship there,
The house where all the righteous go
Thy mercy to declare.

4 Among the assemblies of thy saints
Our thankful voice we raise;
There we have told thee our complaints,
And there we speak thy praise.

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PSALM 118. 22, 23. PART III. C. M.

Christ the foundation of his church.

BEHOLD the sure foundation stone

Which God in Zion lays,

To build out heavenly hopes upon,
And his eternal praise.

2 Chosen of God, to sinners dear,
And saints adore the name,

They trust their whole salvation here,
Nor shall they suffer shame.

3 The foolish builders, scribe and priest, Reject it with disdain;

Yet on this rock the church shall rest, And envy rage in vain.

4 What though the gates of hell withstood, Yet must this building rise:

'Tis thy own work, Almighty God, And wondrous in our eyes.

PSALM 118. 24-26. PART IV. C. M.

Hosanna; the Lord's day; or, Christ's resurrection and our salvation.

THIS is the day the Lord hath made,
He calls the hours his own:
Let heaven rejoice, let earth be glad,
And praise surround the throne.

2 To-day he rose and left the dead,
And Satan's empire fell;

To-day the saints his triumphs spread,
And all his wonders tell.

3 Hosanna to the anointed King,

To David's holy Son:
Help us, O Lord; descend and bring
Salvation from thy throne.

4 Blest be the Lord, who comes to men
With messages of grace;

Who comes in God his Father's name
To save our sinful race.

5 Hosanna in the highest strains

The church on earth can raise ;

The highest heavens, in which he reigns, Shall give him nobler praise.

PSALM 118. 22-27. S. M.

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4 Then shall my heart have inward joy,
And keep my face from shame,
When all thy statutes I obey,
And honour all thy name.
Ver 21, 118.

An hosanna for the Lord's day; or, A new 5 But haughty sinners God will hate,

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song of salvation by Christ.

SEE what a living stone

The builders did refuse;

Yet God hath built his church thereon,
In spite of envious Jews.

The scribe and angry priest
Reject thine only Son;

Yet on this rock shall Zion rest,
As the chief corner-stone.

3. The work, O Lord, is thine,
⚫ And wondrous in our eyes!
This day declares it all divine,
This day did Jesus rise.

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5

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This is the glorious day

That our Redeemer made;

Let us rejoice, and sing, and pray,
Let all the church be glad.

Hosanna to the King

Of David's royal blood:

Bless him, ye saints; he comes to bring Salvation from your God.

We bless thine holy word, Which all this grace displays; And offer on thine altar, Lord, Our sacrifice of praise.

PSALM 118. 22-27. L. M.

The same

LO! what a glorious corner-stone

The Jewish builders did refuse; But God hath built his church thereon, In spite of envy and the Jews. 2 Great God, the work is all divine, The joy and wonder of our eyes; This is the day that proves it thine, The day that saw our Saviour rise. 3 Sinners, rejoice, and saints, be glad : Hosanna, let his name be blest: A thousand honours on his head, With peace, and light, and glory, rest. 4 In God's own name he comes to bring Salvation to our dying race :

Let the whole church address their King, With hearts of joy, and songs of praise. PSALM 119.

The proud shall die accurst; The sons of falsehood and deceit Are trodden to the dust.

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PSALM 119. PART II. C. M.

Secret devotion and spiritual-mindedness; or.
Constant converse with God.
Ver. 147, 55.

To thee, before the dawning light,
My gracious God, I pray;

I meditate thy name by night,
And keep thy law by day.
Ver. 81.

2 My spirit faints to see thy grace,
Thy promise bears me up;
And while salvation long delays,
Thy word supports my hope.
Ver. 164.

3 Seven times a day I lift my hands.
And pay my thanks to thee;
Thy righteous providence demands
Repeated praise from me.

Ver. 62.

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2 I chose the path of heavenly truth, And glory in my choice: Not all the riches of the earth

I have collected and disposed the most useful verses of this psalm under eighteen differ-3 ent heads, and formed a divine song upon each of them. But the verses are much transposed to attain some degree of connexion.

In some places, among the words law, commands, judgments, testimonies, I have used 4 gospel, word, grace, truth, promises, &c. as more agreeable to the New Testament, and the common language of Christians, and it equally answers the design of the Psalmist, which was to recommend the Holy Scripture.

PSALM 119. 1, 2, 3. PART I. C. M.
The blessedness of saints, and misery of

sinners.

1 Bwhose ways are right and clean: Who never from thy law depart, But fly from every sin.

LEST are the undefiled in heart,

Could make me so rejoice. The testimonies of thy grace I set before my eyes; Thence I derive my daily strength, And there my comfort lies. Ver. 59.

If once I wander from thy path,

I think upon my ways,
Then turn my feet to thy commands,
And trust thy pardoning grace.
Ver 94, 114.

5 Now I am thine, for ever thine,
O save thy servant, Lord:
Thou art my shield, my hiding-place,
My hope is in thy word.

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PSALM 119. PART IV. C. M. Instruction from scripture. Ver. 9.

HOW shall the young secure their hearts,
And guard their lives from sin?
Thy word the choicest rules imparts
To keep the conscience clean.
Ver. 130.

2 When once it enters to the mind,
It spreads such light abroad,
The meanest souls instruction find,
And raise their thoughts to God.
Ver. 105.

3 'Tis like the sun, a heavenly light,
That guides us all the day,

And through the dangers of the night,
A lamp to lead our way.
Ver. 99, 100.

4 The men that keep thy law with care,
And meditate thy word,
Grow wiser than their teachers are,
And better know the Lord.

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3 My heart in midnight silence cries,
How sweet thy comforts be!'
My thoughts in holy wonder rise,
And bring their thanks to thee.
Ver. 162.

4 And when my spirit drinks her fill
At some good word of thine,
Not mighty men that share the spoil
Have joys compared to mine.

PSALM 119. PART VII. C. M.

Imperfection of nature, and perfection of scripture.

Ver. 96. paraphrased.

ET all the heathen writers join
To form one perfect book;
Great God, if once compared with thine,
How mean their writings look!

2 Not the most perfect rules they gave
Could show one sin forgiven,
Nor lead a step beyond the grave;

But thine conduct to heaven.

3 I've seen an end of what we call
Perfection here below;

How short the powers of nature fall,
And can no farther go!

4 Yet men would fain be just with God
By works their hands have wrought:
But thy commands, exceeding broad,
Extend to every thought.

5 In vain we boast perfection here,
While sin defiles our frame,
And sinks our virtues down so far,
They scarce deserve the name.

6 Our faith and love, and every grace,
Fall far below thy word;

But perfect truth and righteousness
Dwell only with the Lord.

PSALM 119. PART VIII. C. M.

4.

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Ver. 35.

6 Make me to walk in thy commands,
'Tis a delightful road;

Nor let my head, or heart, or hands,
Offend against my God.

PSALM 119. PART XII. C. M. Breathing after comfort and deliverance. Ver. 153.

MY God, consider my distress,

Let mercy plead my cause;

Though I have sinned against thy grace, I can't forget thy laws.

Ver. 39, 116.

Forbid, forbid the sharp reproach
Which I so justly fear;

Uphold my life, uphold my hopes,
Nor let my shame appear.
Ver. 122, 135.

3 Be thou a surety, Lord, for me,
Nor let the proud oppress,

But make thy waiting servant see
The shinings of thy face.
Ver. 82.

4 My eyes with expectation fail,
My heart within me cries,
"When will the Lord his truth fulfil,
And make my comforts rise?"
Ver. 132.

5 Look down upon my sorrows, Lord,
And show thy grace the same
As thou art ever wont to afford
To those that love thy name.

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3 I'm a companion of the saints
Who fear and love the Lord;
My sorrows rise, my nature faints,
When men transgress thy word.
Ver. 161, 163.

4 While sinners do thy gospel wrong,
My spirit stands in awe;
My soul abhors a lying tongue,
But loves thy righteous law.
Ver. 161, 120.

5 My heart with sacred reverence hears
The threatenings of thy word;
My flesh with holy trembling fears
The judgments of the Lord.
Ver. 166, 174.

6 My God, I long, I hope, I wait

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For thy salvation still;

While thy whole law is my delight,
And I obey thy will.

PSALM 119. PART XIV. C. M. Benefit of afflictions, and support under them.

Ver. 153, 81, 82.

ONSIDER all my sorrows, Lord, CONS the deliverance send;

My soul for thy salvation faints,
When will my troubles end?
Ver. 71.

2 Yet I have found 'tis good for me
To bear my Father's rod :
Afflictions make me learn thy law,
And live upon my God.

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Ver. 93.

6 Then shall I love thy gospel more,

And ne'er forget thy word,

When I have felt its quickening power
To draw me near the Lord.

PSALM 119. PART XVII. L. M.

Courage and perseverance under persecution; or, Grace shining in difficulties and trials.

1

Ver. 143, 28.

WHEN pain and anguish seize me, Lord,

All my support is from thy word:,
My soul dissolves for heaviness,

Uphold me with thy strengthening grace.
Ver. 51, 69, 110.

2 The proud have framed their scoffs and lies,
They watch my feet with envious eyes,
And tempt my soul to snares and sin,
Yet thy commands I ne'er decline.
Ver. 161, 78.

3 They hate me, Lord, without a cause,
They hate to see me love thy laws;
But I will trust and fear thy name,
Till pride and malice die with shame.

PSALM 119. LAST PART. L. M. Sanctified afflictions; or, Delight in the word of God.

1

Ver. 67, 59.

FATHER, I bless thy gentle hand:
How kind was thy chastising rod,
That forced my conscience to a stand,
And brought my wandering soul to God!
2 Foolish and vain, I went astray,
Ere I had felt thy scourges, Lord;
I left my guide, and lost my way,
But now I love and keep thy word.
Ver. 71.

3 'Tis good for me to wear the yoke,
For pride is apt to rise and swell;
'Tis good to bear my Father's stroke,
That I might learn his statutes well.
Ver. 72.

4 The law that issues from thy mouth
Shall raise my cheerful passions more
Than all the treasures of the south,
Or western hills of golden ore.

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THOU God of love, thou ever blest,
my suffering state;

When wilt thou set my soul at rest
From lips that love deceit?

2 Hard lot of mine, my days are cast
Among the sons of strife,

Whose never-ceasing brawlings waste
My golden hours of life.

3 O might I fly to change my place!
How would I choose to dwell
In some wide lonesome wilderness,
And leave these gates of hell!
4 Peace is the blessing that I seek,
How lovely are its charms!
I am for peace; but when I speak,
They all declare for arms.

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