PSALM LII.

IN

TN vain, O man of lawless might,
Thou boast'st thyself in ill;
Since God, the God in whom I trust,
Vouchsafes his favour still.

2 Thy wicked tongue doth sland'rous

9 So shall my soul, with praise, O God, 3 Hark how the foe insults aloud!
Extol thy wondrous love;
How fierce oppressors rage!
Whose sland'rous tongues, with wrath.
ful hate,

And on thy name with patience wait;
For this thy saints approve.
PSALM LIII.

Against my fame engage.

HE wicked fools must sure suppose
That God is but a name;
This gross mistake their practice shows,
Since virtue all disclaim.

4, 5 My heart is rack'd with pain; my
soul

2 The Lord look'd down from heav'n's
high tow'r,

The sons of men to view;
To see if any own'd his pow'r,
Or truth or justice knew.
3 But all, he saw, were backward gone,
Degen'rate grown and base;
None for religion car'd, not one
Of all the sinful race.

4 But are those workers of deceit
So dull and senseless grown,
That they like bread my people eat,
And God's just pow'r disown?
5 Their causeless fear shall strangely
grow;

And they, despis'd of God,

Shall soon be foil'd; his hand shall throw

Their shatter'd bones abroad.
6 Would he his saving pow'r employ
To break our servile band,
Loud shouts of universal joy
Should echo through the land.
PSALM LIV.

ORD, save me, for thy glorious name,
And in thy strength appear,
To judge my cause; accept my pray'r,12
And to my words give ear.

3 Mere strangers, whom I never wrong'd,
To ruin me design'd;

With deadly frights distress'd; With fear and trembling compass'd round,

G

turn

IVE ear, thou Judge of all the earth,
And listen when I pray;
Nor from thy humble suppliant
Thy glorious face away.
2 Attend to this my sad complaint,
And hear my grievous moans;
While I my mournful case declare,
With artless sighs and groans.

With horror quite oppress'd.
6 How often wish'd I then, that I
The dove's swift wings could get;
That I might take my speedy flight,
And seek a safe retreat.

7, 8 Then would I wander far from
hence,

And in wild deserts stray,
Till all this furious storm were spent,
This tempest past away.
PART II.

9 Destroy, O Lord, their ill designs,
Their counsels soon divide;
For through the city my griev'd eyes
Have strife and rapine spy'd.
10 By day and night, on every wall
They walk their constant round;
And in the midst of all her strength
Are grief and mischief found.
11 Whoe'er through ev'ry part shall

roam,

Will fresh disorders meet;

Deceit and Guile their constant posts

Maintain in ev'ry street.
For 'twas not any open foe

That false reflections made,
For then I could with ease have borne
The bitter things he said:
'Twas none who hatred had profess'd,
That did against me rise;
For then I had withdrawn myself
From his malicious eyes.

13, 14 But 'twas e'en thou, my guide,
my friend,

Whom tend'rest love did join; Whose sweet advice I valu'd most;

And punish them whose prosp'rous state] 12 To thee, O God, my vows are due,
Makes them no God to fear.
To thee I'll render praise.

13 Thou hast retriev'd my soul from
death;

And thou wilt still secure

20 Whom can I trust, if faithless men
Perfidiously devise

To ruin me, their peaceful friend,
And break the strongest ties?
21 Though soft and melting are their
words,

Their hearts with war abound;
Their speeches are more smooth than
oil,

And yet like swords they wound.
22 Do thou, my soul, on God depend,
And

He aids the just, whom to supplant
The wicked strive in vain.

HY mercy, Lord, to me extend
On thy protection I depend;
And to thy wing for shelter haste,
Till this outrageous storm is pass'd.
2 To thy tribunal, Lord, I fly,
Thou sov'reign Judge, and God most
high,

Who wonders hast for me begun,
And wilt not leave thy work undone.
3 From heav'n protect me by thine arm,
And shame all those who seek my harm;
To my relief thy mercy send,

And truth, on which my hopes depend.
4 For I with savage men converse,
Like hungry lions wild and fierce;
on With men whose teeth are spears, their
words
Envenom'd darts and two-edg'd swords.

What mighty numbers join.

3 But though sometimes surpris'd by 5 Be thou, O God, exalted high;
And, as thy glory fills the sky,
So let it be on earth display'd,
Till thou art here, as there, obey'd.
6 To take me they their net prepar'd,
And had almost my soul ensnar'd;
But fell themselves, by just decree,
Into the pit they made for me.
7 O God, my heart is fix'd, 'tis bent,
Its thankful tribute to present;
And, with my heart, my voice Í'll raise
To thee, my God, in songs of praise:
8 Awake, my glory; harp and lute,
No longer let your strings be mute;
And I, my tuneful part to take,
Will with the early dawn awake.
9 Thy praises, Lord, I will resound
To all the list'ning nations round;
10 Thy mercy highest heav'n trans-
cends;

23 My foes, that trade in lies and blood,
Shall all untimely die;
Whilst I for health and length of days,
On thee, my God, rely.
PSALM LVI.

Do thou, O God, in mercy help;

For man my

pursues;

To crush me with repeated wrongs,
He daily strife renews.

2 Continually my spiteful foes
To ruin me combine;

Thou see'st, who sitt'st enthron'd

high,

fear,

On danger's first alarm;
Yet still for succour I depend
On thy Almighty arm.

4 God's faithful promise I shall praise,
On which I now rely;
In God I trust, and, trusting him,
The arm of flesh defy.

5 They wrest my words, and make them
speak

,

A sense they never meant;
Their thoughts are all, with restless spite,
On my destruction bent.
6 In close assemblies they combine,
And wicked projects lay;
They watch my steps, and lie in wait
To make my soul their
7 Shall such injustice still escape?
O righteous God, arise;
Let thy just wrath, too long provok'd,
This impious race chastise.
8 Thou numb'rest all my steps, since
first

prey.

I was compell'd to flee;
My very tears are treasur'd up, :
And register'd by thee.
9 When therefore I invoke thy aid,
My foes shall be o'erthrown;
For I am well assur'd that God

The life thou hast so oft preserv'd,
And make my footsteps sure:
14 And thus protected by thy pow'r,
I may this life enjoy;
And in the service of my God
My lengthen'd days employ.
PSALM LVII.

My righteous cause will own.
10.11 I'll trust God's word, and so despise
The force that man san raise;

Thy truth beyond the clouds extends.
11 Be thou, O God, exalted high;
And, as thy glory fills the sky,
So let it be on earth display'd,
Till thou art here, as there, obey'd.
PSALM LVIII.

SPEAK, O ye judges of the earth,
If just your be;
Or must not innocence appeal
To heav'n from your decree?
2 Your wicked hearts and judgments

are

Alke by malice sway'd;

5 Unmov'd by good advice, and deaf
As adders they remain;
From whom the skilful charmer's voice
Can no attention gain.

6 Defeat, O God, their threat'ning rage,
And timely break their pow'r;
Disarm these growling lions' jaws,
E'er practis'd to devour.
7 Let now their insolence, at height,
Like ebbing tides be spent ;
Their shiver'd darts deceive their aim,
When they their bow have bent.
8 Like snails let them dissolve to slime;
Like hasty births, become
Unworthy to behold the sun,

And dead within the womb.

9 E'er thorns can make the flesh-pots

While others through the clty range,
And ransack ev'ry street.

7 Their throats envenom'd slander
breathe;

Their tongues are sharpen'd swords; Who hears?' say they, or, hearing, dares

'Reprove our lawless words?'

But from thy throne thou shalt, 0
Lord,

Their baffled plots deride;

And soon to shame and scorn expose
Their boasted heathen pride.
9 On thee I wait; 'tis on thy strength
For succour I depend;
"Tis thou, O God, art my defence,
Who only can defend.

10 Thy mercy, Lord, which has so oft
From danger set me free,
Shall crown my wishes, and subdue
My haughty foes to me.

11 Destroy them not, O Lord, at once;
Restrain thy vengeful blow;
Lest we, ungratefully, too soon
Forget their overthrow.

Disperse them through the nations
round

By thy avenging pow'r;

Do thou bring down their haughty pride,

O Lord, our shield and tow'r. 12 Now, in the height of all their hopes, Their arrogance chastise; Whose tongues have sinn'd without restraint,

And curses join'd with lies.

13 Nor shalt thou, whilst their race endures;

Thine anger, Lord, suppress;
That distant lands, by their just doom,
May Israel's God confess.
14 At ev'ning let them still persist
Like growling dogs to meet,
Still wander all the city round,

And traverse ev'ry street.
15 Then, as for malice now they do,
For hunger let them stray;
And yell their vain complaints aloud,
Defeated of their prey.

16 Whilst early I thy mercy sing,
Thy wondrous pow'r confess;
For thou hast been my sure defence,
My refuge in distress.

17 To thee, with never-ceasing praise,
O God, my strength, I'll sing;
Thou art my God, the rock from
1 whence

My health and safety spring.
PSALM LX.

O

GOD,who hast our troops dispers'd,
Forsaking those who left thee first
As we thy just displeasure mourn,
To
us, in mercy, Lord, return.

8

So shall I ever sing thy praise,
Thy name for ever bless;
Devote my prosp'rous days to pay
The vows of my distress.
PSALM LXII.

MY soul for help on God relies;

2. Our strength, that firm as earth did stand,

Is rent by thy avenging hand;

O! heal the breaches thou hast made:
We shake, we fall, without thy aid!
3 Our sad

For, drunk with discord's cup we reel:

From him alone my safety flows,

4 But now, for them who thee rever'd, My Rock, my Health, that strength Thou hast thy truth's bright banner rear'd.

5 Let thy right hand thy saints protect;
Lord, hear the pray'rs that we direct:
6 The holy God has spoke; and I,
O'erjoy'd, on his firm word rely:
To thee in portions I'll divide
Fair Sichem's soil, Samaria's pride;
To Sichem, Succoth, next I'll join,
And measure out her vale by line.
7 Manasseh, Gilead, both subscribe
To my commands, with Ephraim's tribe;
Ephraim by arms supports my cause,
And Judah by religious laws.
8 Moab my slave and drudge shall be,
Nor Edom from my yoke get free;
Proud Palestine's imperious state
Shall humbly on our triumph wait.
9 But who shall quell these mighty

pow'rs,

And clear my way to Edom's tow'rs?
Or through her guarded frontiers tread
The path that doth to conquest lead?
10 Ev'n thou, O God, who hath dispers'd
Our troops; (for we forsook thee first;)
Those whom thou didst in wrath for-
sake,
Aton'd, thou wilt victorious make.
11 Do thou our fainting cause sustain;
For human succours are but vaín.
12 Fresh strength and courage God be-

stows:

'Tis he treads down our proudest foes. PSALM LXI.

O lodge me safe beyond the reach
Of persecuting pow'r;

3

3 Thou, who so oft from spiteful foes Hast been my shelt'ring tow'r.

1

4 So shall I in thy sacred courts
Secure from danger lie;
Beneath the covert of thy wings,
All future storms defy.

5 In sign my vows are heard, once

L
ORD, hear my cry, regard my pray'r,
Which I, oppress'd with grief,
2 From earth's remotest parts address
To thee for kind relief.

more

I o'er thy chosen reign;

60! bless with long and prosp'rous life The king thou didst ordain.

7 Confirm his throne, and make his reign
Accepted in thy sight;
And let thy truth and mercy both
In his defence unite.

supplies,

To bear the shock of all my foes.
8 How long will ye contrive my fall,
Which will but hasten on your own?
You'll totter like a bending wall,

Or fence of uncemented stone.
4 To make my envy'd honours less,
They strive with lies, their chief de
light;

For they, though with their mouths
they bless,

In private curse with inward spite.
5,6 But thou, my soul, on God rely;
On him alone thy trust repose:
My Rock and Health will strength sun-

ply

To bear the shock of all my foes.
7 God does his saving health dispense,
And flowing blessings daily send:
He is my fortress and defence;

On him my soul shall still depend.
8 In him, ye people, always trust;
Before his throne pour out your
hearts;
For God, the merciful and just,
His timely aid to us imparts.
9 The vulgar fickle are and frail;

The great dissemble and betray;
And, laid in Truth's impartial scale,
The lightest things will both out
weigb..

10 Then trust not in oppressive ways; By spoil and rapine grow not vain; Nor let your hearts, if wealth in