PSALM 130.

The Christian in affliction declareth his faith in the divine promises, and in the mercy and grace of God.

FROM lowest depths of woe
To God I send my cry,
Lord! hear my supplicating voice,
And graciously reply.

My soul with patience waits
For Thee, the living Lord,

My hopes are on thy promise built,
Thy never-failing word.

My longing eyes look out

For thy enlivening ray,

More duly than the morning watch

To mark the dawning day.

O put your trust in God,

No bounds his mercy knows,

The plenteous source, from whence alone
Eternal succour flows.

Whose grace and truth supplies

For every want convey,

A healing spring, a spring to cleanse,
And wash our guilt away.

PSALM 132.

A prayer for God's blessing upon the visible church of Christ and the ministers of religion.

ARISE, O God! and here possess

Thy constant place of rest,
And ever with thy presence, Lord,
Be this thy temple blest.

Clothe Thou her priests with righteousness,

Make all her saints rejoice;
And for thine own Anointed's sake
O hear thy people's voice.

Let this in thy esteem, O Lord,
All other seats excel,

Here fix thine everlasting rest,
And here delight to dwell.

So with due reverence shall all
To thine abode repair,

Here humbly at thy footstool fall,
Here pour their souls in prayer.

PSALM 133.

The blessedness of Christian unity and brotherly love.

How blest the lot of those, how sweet
Must all their pleasures prove,

Who dwell like brethren here on earth
In unity and love.

Such love is like the precious oil,
Which, poured on Aaron's head,
Ran down his beard, and on his robes
Its costly fragrance shed.

'Tis like refreshing dew, which doth
On Hermon's top distil;

Or like the early drops that fall
On Sion's fruitful hill.

For all, whose hearts with mutual truth,
And mutual love abound,

Hath God with endless length of days,
And endless blessings crowned.

PSALM 136.

A hymn of praise and thanksgiving to the God of gods and Lord of lords.

To God, the mighty Lord,
Your joyful thanks repeat,
To Him your praise afford,
As good as He is great;

Praise Him for his mercies past,
Mercies which for ever last.

To Him, whose wondrous power
All other gods obey,
Whom earthly kings adore,

Your grateful homage pay;

Praise Him for his mercies past,
Mercies which for ever last.

By his Almighty hand

Amazing works are wrought;
The world, by his command,
Was to perfection brought;
Praise Him for his mercies past,
Mercies which for ever last.

He, in our misery,

On us with pity thought;
And, from our sin set free,

To peace and safety brought;
Praise Him for his mercies past,
Mercies which for ever last.

PSALM 137.

The church in captivity mourns the loss of the temple and its worship.

WHERE Babylon's proud waters flow,
We sat and wept to think on thee,
And all thy wrongs and all thy woe,
Sad Sion, once so fair and free!

Our harps, once tuneful in thy praise,
But now neglected and unstrung,

Sad tokens of our happier days,

On many a neighbouring bough we hung.

How should we tune our hearts to sing,
While still we wear the exile's chain;
Midst heathen scorn, our God and King,
How could we thy great name profane ?

O Sion! never shall our tongues

Forget to mourn, and pray, for thee, Thy praise, the theme of all our songs, Thy woes, our heaviest grief shall be.

PSALM 139.

The omniscience and omnipresence of God.

THOU, Lord, by strictest search hast known
My rising up and lying down;

My very thoughts are known to Thee,
Known long before conceived by me.

How then shall I thy presence shun
From thine all-seeing Spirit run?
Shall I attempt to shun thy sight
Beneath the sable wings of night?

Lo! night itself is no disguise,
No screen from thine all-searching eyes,
One glance from Thee, one piercing ray,
Can kindle darkness into day.

Shall I to heaven direct my flight?

Lo, there Thou dwell'st enthroned in light; Or shall I unto hell repair?

Thou reign'st a God of vengeance there.

Searcher of hearts! O let thine eye,
Great God! my inmost soul descry;
Correct me when I go astray,
And lead me in thy perfect way.

PSALM 143.

A prayer for deliverance from our spiritual enemies.

HEAR me, O Lord, in my distress,
Hear me in truth and righteousness;
O judge me not, for by Thee tried,
None living can be justified.