7 God made, of old, his righteous ways
To Moses and our fathers known;
His works, to his eternal praise,
Were to the sons of Jacob shown.
8 The Lord abounds with tender love,
And unexampled acts of grace;
His wakened wrath doth slowly move,
His willing mercy flies apace.
9, 10 God will not always harshly chide,
But with his anger quickly part;
And loves his punishments to guide
More by his love than our desert.
11 As high as heaven its arch extends
Above this little spot of clay,
So much his boundless love transcends
The small respects that we can pay.
12, 13 As far as 'tis from east to west,
So far has he our sins removed,
Who, with a father's tender breast,
Has such as feared him always loved. 14, 15 For God, who all our frame surveys, Considers that we are but clay;
How fresh soe'er we seem, our days,
Like grass or flowers, must fade away. 16, 17 Whilst they are nipped with sudden blasts, Nor can we find their former place,
God's faithful mercy ever lasts,
To those that fear him and their race.
18 This shall attend on such as still
Proceed in his appointed way,
And who not only know his will,
But to it just obedience pay.
19, 20 The Lord, the universal King,
In heaven has fixed his lofty throne:
To him, ye angels, praises sing,
In whose great strength his power is shown.
Ye that his just commands obey,
And hear and do his sacred will,
21 Ye hosts of his, this tribute pay, Who still what he ordains fulfil.
22 Let every creature jointly bless
The mighty Lord; and thou, my heart,
With grateful joy, thy thanks express,
And in this concert bear thy part.
BLESS God, my soul: thou, Lord, alone
Possessest empire without bounds;
With honour thou art crowned; thy throne
Eternal majesty surrounds.
2 With light thou dost thyself enrobe,
And glory for a garment take;
Heaven's curtains stretch beyond the globe,
Thy canopy of state to make.
3 God builds on liquid air, and forms
His palace chambers in the skies;
The clouds his chariots are, and storms
The swift-winged steeds with which he flies.
4 As bright as flame, as swift as wind,
His ministers heaven's palace fill,
To have their sundry tasks assigned,
All proud to serve their Sovereign's will.
5, 6 Earth, on her centre fixed, he set,
Her face with waters overspread ;
Nor proudest mountains dared as yet
To lift above the waves their head.
7 But, when thy awful face appeared,
The insulting waves dispersed; they fled,
When once thy thunder's voice they heard,
And by their haste confessed their dread.
8 Thence up, by secret tracks, they creep,
And, gushing from the mountain's side,
Through valleys travel to the deep,
Appointed to receive their tide.
9 There hast thou fixed the ocean's bounds,
The threatening surges to repel;
That they no more o'erpass their mounds,
Nor to a second deluge swell.
10 Yet thence, in smaller parties drawn,
The sea recovers her lost hills;
And starting springs, from every lawn,
Surprise the vales with plenteous rills.
11 The field's tame beasts are thither led, Weary with labour, faint with drought; And asses, on wild mountains bred,
Have sense to find these currents out.
12 There shady trees from scorching beams
Yield shelter to the feathered throng;
They drink, and to the bounteous streams
Return the tribute of their
13 His rains from heaven parched hills recruit,
That soon transmit the liquid store,
Till earth is burdened with her fruit,
And nature's lap can hold no more.
14 Grass, for our cattle to devour,
He makes the growth of every field;
Herbs, for man's use, of various power,
That either food or physic yield.
15 With clustered grapes he crowns the vine,
To cheer man's heart, oppressed with cares;
Gives oil, that makes his face to shine,
And corn, that wasted strength repairs.
16 The trees of God, without the care
Or art of man, with sap are fed;
The mountain cedar looks as fair
As those in royal gardens bred.
17 Safe, in the lofty cedar's arms
The wanderers of the air may rest;
The hospitable pine from harms
Protects the stork, her pious guest. 18 Wild goats the craggy rock ascend,
Its towering heights their fortress make,
Whose cells in labyrinths extend,
Where feebler creatures refuge take.
19 The moon's inconstant aspect shows
The appointed seasons of the year;
The instructed sun his duty knows,
His hours to rise and disappear.
20, 21 Darkness he makes the earth to shroud, When forest beasts securely stray;
Young lions roar their wants aloud
To Providence, that sends them prey.
22 They range all night, on slaughter bent,
Till, summoned by the rising morn,
To skulk in dens, with one consent,
The conscious ravagers return.
23 Forth to the tillage of his soil
The husbandman securely goes,
Commencing with the sun his toil,
With him returns to his repose.
24 How various, Lord, thy works are found,
For which thy wisdom we adore!
The earth is with thy treasure crowned,
Till nature's hand can grasp no more.
25 But still the vast, unfathomed main
Of wonders a new scene supplies,
Whose depths inhabitants contain
Of every form, and every size.
26 Full-freighted ships, from every port,
There cut their unmolested way;
Leviathan, whom there to sport
Thou mad'st, has compass there to play.
27 These various troops of sea and land
In sense of common want agree;
All wait on thy dispensing hand,
And have their daily alms from thee.
28 They gather what thy stores disperse,
Without their trouble to provide;
Thou op'st thy hand, the universe,
The craving world, is all supplied.
29 Thou for a moment hid'st thy face,
The numerous ranks of creatures mourn; Thou tak'st their breath, all nature's race Forthwith to mother earth return.
30 Again thou send'st thy spirit forth
To inspire the mass with vital seed;
Nature's restored, and parent earth
Smiles on her new-created breed.
31 Thus, through successive ages, stands,
Firm fixed, thy providential care;
Pleased with the work of thy own hands,
Thou dost the waste of time repair.
32 One look of thine, one wrathful look, Earth's panting breast with terror fills; One touch from thee, with clouds of smoke In darkness shrouds the proudest hills. 33 In praising God, while he prolongs
My breath, I will that breath employ ;
34 And join devotion to my songs,
Sincere, as in him is my joy.
35 While sinners from earth's face are hurled,
My soul, praise thou his holy name,
Till with my song the listening world
Join concert, and his praise proclaim.
RENDER thanks, and bless the Lord;
Invoke his sacred name;
Acquaint the nations with his deeds,
His matchless deeds proclaim.
2 Sing to his praise in lofty hymns;
His wondrous works rehearse;
Make them the theme of your discourse,
And subject of your verse.
3 Rejoice in his Almighty name,
Alone to be adored;
And let their hearts o'erflow with joy,
That humbly seek the Lord.
4 Seek ye the Lord; his saving strength
Devoutly still implore;
And, where he's ever present, seek
His face for evermore.
5 The wonders that his hands have wrought Keep thankfully in mind,
The righteous statutes of his mouth,
And laws to us assigned.
6 Know ye, his servant Abra'm's seed,
And Jacob's chosen race,
7 He's still our God, his judgments still
Throughout the earth take place.
8 His covenant he hath kept in mind
For numerous ages passed,
Which yet, for thousand ages more,
In equal force shall last;-
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