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Psalm CLXV.

The Goodness of God.

SWEET is the memory of Thy grace,
My GOD, my heavenly King!

Let age to age Thy righteousness.
In sounds of glory sing.

2 GOD reigns on high, but not confines
His goodness to the skies;

Through the whole earth His bounty shines, And every want supplies.

3 With longing eyes Thy creatures wait
On Thee for daily food:

Thy lib'ral hand provides their meat,
And fills their mouths with good.

4 How kind are Thy compassions, LORD!
How slow Thine anger moves!
But soon He sends His pardoning word
To cheer the souls He loves.

5 Creatures, with all their endless race,
Thy pow'r and praise proclaim;
But saints, that taste Thy richer grace,
Delight to bless Thy Name.

6 Let ev'ry tongue Thy goodness speak,
Thou sov'reign LORD of all!

Thy strength'ning hands uphold the weak, And raise the poor that fall.

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Psalm CXLVI.

Praise to God, and Trust in Him,

I'LL praise my Maker with my breath;
And when my voice is lost in death

Praise shall employ my nobler powers:
My days of praise shall ne'er be past
While life and thought and being last,
Or immortality endures.

2 Why should I make a man my trust?
Princes must die, and turn to dust;

Vain is the help of flesh and blood:
Their breath departs, their pomp and pow'r,
And thoughts all vanish in an hour,
Nor can they make their promise good.

3 Happy the man whose hopes rely
On Israel's God! He made the sky,.
And earth, and seas, with all their train;
His truth for ever stands secure;
He saves th' opprest, he feeds the poor,

And none shall find His promise vain.

4 The LORD hath eyes to give the blind; The LORD supports the sinking mind;

He sends the labouring conscience peace: He helps the stranger in distress,

The widow and the fatherless,

And grants the pris'ner sweet release.

5 He loves His saints; He knows them well; But turns the wicked down to Hell:

Thy GOD, O Zion, ever reigns;

Let ev'ry tongue, let ev'ry age,
In this exalted work engage;

Praise Him in everlasting strains.

Psalm CXLVII.

Works of Nature and Providence.

1 PRAISE ye the LORD; 'tis good to raise

Our hearts and voices in His praise:

His nature and His works invite

To make this duty our delight.

2 He form'd the stars, those heavenly flames;
He counts their numbers, calls their names';
His wisdom's vast, and knows no bound,
A deep where all our thoughts are drown'd.

3 Sing to the LORD, exalt Him high,
Who spreads His clouds all round the sky;
There He prepares the fruitful rain,
Nor lets the drops descend in vain.

4 He makes the grass the hills adorn,
And clothes the smiling fields with corn,
The beasts with food His hands supply,
And the young ravens when they cry.

5 What is the creature's skill or force,
The sprightly man, the warlike horse,
The nimble wit, the active limb?
All are too mean delights for Him.

6 But saints are lovely in His sight;
He views His children with delight:
He sees their hope, He knows their fear,
And looks and loves His image there.

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Psalm CXLVIII.

Universal Praise.

YE boundless realms of joy,
Exalt your Maker's fame;
His praise your song employ
Above the starry frame;

Your voices raise, Ye cherubim
And seraphim, To sing His praise.

Thou moon that rul'st the night,
And sun that guid'st the day,
Ye glitt'ring stars of light,

To Him your homage pay.

His praise declare, Ye heav'ns above,
And clouds that move In liquid air.

Let all of royal birth,

With those of humbler frame,
And judges of the earth,

His matchless praise proclaim. In this design Let youths with maids, And hoary heads With children join.

United zeal be shown,

His wondrous fame to raise,
Whose glorious Name alone
Deserves our endless praise.

Earth's utmost ends His pow'r obey:
His glorious sway The sky transcends.

His chosen saints to grace,

He sets them up on high,
And favours Isr'el's race,

Who still to Him are nigh.

O therefore raise Your grateful voice,
And still rejoice The LORD to praise.

Psalm CXLVIII.

Universal Praise.

1 BEGIN, my soul, th' exalted lay,
Let each enraptur'd thought obey,
And praise th' Almighty's Name:
Lo! Heav'n and earth, and seas and skies,
In one melodious concert rise,

To swell th' inspiring theme..

2 Ye angels, catch the thrilling sound;
While all th' adoring thrones around
His boundless mercy sing;
Let ev'ry list'ning saint above
Wake all the tuneful soul of love,
And touch the sweetest string.

3 Let ev'ry element rejoice:

Ye thunders, burst with awful voice
To Him who bids you roll:
His praise in softer notes declare,
Each whisp'ring breeze of yielding air,
And breathe it to the soul..

4 Wake, all ye mounting tribės, and sing;
Ye plumy warblers of the spring,
Harmonious anthems raise

To Him who shap'd your finer mould,
Who tipp'd your glitt ring wings with gold,
And tun'd your voice to praise.

5 Let man, by nobler passions sway'd,
The feeling heart, the judging head,
In heav'nly praise employ;

Spread His tremendous Name around,
Till Heav'n's broad arch rings back the sound,
The gen'ral burst of joy.